Bright lights. Loud cheers. It’s halftime at a football game, and the Marching Green Pride and Emerald Dazzlers get onto the field. The crowd gets quiet as the band begins to play, and the Dazzlers start to dance. They watch the synchronized, shining, and shimmering girls move to the music.

“5th period we have practice for an hour,” first year Dazzler sophomore Emily Wilson said. “Then we have Monday, Tuesday, Thursday 4 to 6 or 6:30, and then games on Fridays.”

Emily explained the usual Dazzler practice times, but for others also working with the band in the visual ensemble, they have even longer practice times.

“Especially this year because there’s girls that are in the visual ensemble for the band show,” senior and co-captain Emma Boyer said. “So the girls that are doing that are practicing almost everyday until like 8:00 and then we have games, so we’re up here all the time.”

“Visual ensemble can definitely be overwhelming sometimes,” senior historian Marissa Hernandez said. “But it’s just one of those things that you committed to it, so it’s something you’re stuck with doing, but not in a negative way.”

Other girls that are part of the visual ensemble, like senior Bailey Jackson, agree with Marissa that the extra practice time can be taxing and a burden, but it was their choice to do it so they really need to make the most of it.

“It’s a lot,” senior veteran Bailey Jackson said. “But you learn how to balance it. Like, you get used to it, so you base your schedule around it. You make it a priority.”

Of course, since the school year has still just started and everyone is getting comfortable with the gist of things, working hard is more important than ever. Sophomore Maddie Bryant and others said that as the year moves forward, the Dazzlers won’t need as much, or as long of, practices.

“I feel like practices are good for now cause we’re still trying to learn everything,” Bryant said. “Once we get it all down, I think we should cut (practice times) just a little shorter.”