Bonham High School

Line Member Tryouts

Prospective members must try out for War Dancers. Tryouts are CLOSED and judged by out of town judges and based on ability, memory, projection, coordination, technique, showmanship, and rhythm.  Judges scores will be tabulated; results will be verified by a member of administration.

• Prior to tryout clinic: Parents/guardians of prospective members must attend a parent informational meeting.
• Prospective members must complete and turn in: Try out application, Financial Responsibility Acknowledgement, Health Form, and signed War Dancer Constitution/Code of Conduct Verification.
• Scores will be based on the following: 10% attendance, 10% grades, 10% behavior, and 70% judges scores. Percentages for attendance and grades will be taken from Fall Semester records.
• Selection for membership will be posted on the district website on the evening of tryout day.
• The week of tryouts prospective members will have mandatory practices on Monday-Wednesday to learn a group dance. 
• During tryouts prospective members will perform the group dance. Techniques including: stationary leaps, grand jetes, single turns, and a variety of kicks will also be judged.
• Prospective line members that are accepted as War Dancers will have a mandatory practice and performance in the War Dancer’s Spring Show.
• War Dancers returning their senior year who have maintained good standing with the team and have been on the team their entire freshmen, sophomore, and junior year forego the tryout process and are automatically admitted to the next year’s team.

Social Officer Tryouts

• Auditioning for a Social Officer Position
  • To be eligible to Audition for a Social Officer position, one must have already been a War Dancer member for at least 1 football season, as well as maintaining all the line member eligibility requirements.
  • Each prospective Social Officer will be given a tryout form that will include instructions and the paperwork needed to complete the first section of the audition: The Binder. The Binder will include but is not limited to: A current Picture, the application, a resume, report card, general questions, a year calendar of events, and goals and responsibilities.
  • Each prospective Social Officer will be responsible for presenting a Speech paired with a Presentation of why they would be a good Social Officer, paired with their banquet, recital, team gift, a chant, and team building ideas
  • Any prospective Social Officer cannot have more than FIVE demerits

Line Officer Tryouts

• Auditioning for a Line Officer Position
  • To be eligible to Audition for a Line Officer position, one must have already been a War Dancer member for at least 1 football season. They must also maintain all the line member eligibility requirements. The requirment is only eligible if there are candidates open for it.
  • Each prospective Line Officer will be given a tryout form that will include instructions and the paperwork needed to complete the first section of the audition: The Binder. The Binder will include but is not limited to: A current Picture, the application, a resume, report card, general questions, scenarios,  and goals and responsibilities.
  • A solo choreographed by only the prospective Line Officer that includes various techniques, emotion, and showmanship. This solo will be anywhere from a minute and a half to two minutes. Said prospective Line Officer will also be responsible for creating a costume to match the style of their solo.
  • Each prospective Line Officer will participate in learning a group dance.
  • Each prospective member will give a speech to the team as a whole about why they would make a good Line Officer.
  • The Line Officer positions will be decided by the Director, Director Assistant, Managers, Pervious years Line Officers, and the upcoming team.
  • Captains will be upcoming seniors (unless there are none). Lieutenants will be upcoming juniors or seniors.
  • Will attend a Mandatory Line Officer Camp during the summer.
  • Any prospective officer cannot have more than FIVE demerits

Officer Tryout Procedure

• Binders are Due the Monday of tryout week
• All current team members must be present at tryouts.
• Tryouts will start with line officer speeches, interviews, then solos. Followed by social officer presentations. Finishing with the group dance.
• Voting will happen after the group dance reveal.
• Line officers should start in their solo outfit, socials should start n their professional wear. If trying out for both there will be an allotted time to change. After all presentations are finished there will be an allotted time for line officers to change into their all black for the group dance.
• Score break down
  • Binders are an average of the following:
    Presentation- how the binder looks, is organized, etc.
    Content- How well the questions are answered, grammar, etc.
    Completion- making sure everything is included in the binder.
    Each section is scored 1-10 then averaged for the total.
  • Interview & Speech
    Scored between 1-10 based on presence, poise, and preparedness.
  • Solos are an average of the following:
    Technique- pointed toes, straight legs, correct arm & body placement, etc.
    Showmanship- correct emotional aspects, connection of emotion to movements, outfit, etc.
    Choreography- creativity of movement, musicality, etc.
    Each section is scored 1-10 then averaged for the total.
  • Social Presentations are an average of the following:
    Showmanship- Preparedness, professional wear, attitude, etc.
    Eloquence- the ability to speak to the group confidently
    Each section is scored 1-10 then averaged for the total.
  • Group Dance is an average of the following:
    Technique
    Showmanship
    Memory- Knowing what comes next, staying on beat, not watching others etc.
    Each section is scored 1-10 then averaged for the total.
  • Votes- each senior & returning member gets 1 vote per position. Current officers votes count as 3 per position. Director & Assistant Director votes counts as 5 per position.
    One vote for captian- 5 points
    One vote for 1st Lt.- 4 points
    One vote for 2nd lt.- 3 points
    One vote for 3rd lt.- 2 points
    One vote for 4th Lt.- 1 point
    
    One vote for head social- 5 points
    One vote for 1st social- 3  points
    One vote for 2nd Social- 1 point
  • For line officers- additional points are given or taken for performance. +2 points for a performance made, -2 points for performance not made, no points if out for injuries or excused absence.
• Ranks are determined by the point system above. Highest point= highest rank etc. etc.

Binder Requirements

• Current Picture
• Application
• Resume
• Report Card
• Well written answers to these General Questions
  • What qualities do you possess that would make a good Line Officer?
  • What kind of examples should an officer set for the rest of the team and do you feel setting such examples as an officer is important?
  • List any organizations or clubs you are involved in outside of War Dancers; Explain how you will be involved in other organizations while also making War Dancers a priority.
  • What do you see as being the hardest part of being a Line Officer?
  • How would you feel if you were not selected as an officer? Would you remain a line member next year? Why or why not?
  • What does it mean to you to be a leader of the War Dancers?
  • What would you do if you saw or heard another officer or line member doing something against the constitution?
  • What are the biggest complaints of the line members and how would you help resolve these?
  • Other than yourself, who would you see as being in the applied position and why?
• Well written answers to these Scenarios
  • There are several members who consistently talk on the sidelines before and after a performance. They know what is expected and are being subordinate to you. How do you handle this?
  • You feel like some of the officers show favoritism to a War Dancer member they are closer with and are more willing to help and improve these same members ability, but are not as willing to help improve other members they are not as close with. How do you handle this?
  • Your director is not pleased with how a routine is turning out and feels it would be best to make some changes in choreography. You are not pleased with the extra time and work it will take the officers and team to make these changes, but you understand the need for it to be done. As you enter the officer room you hear another officer complaining about the process of making changes and the director. How do you handle this?
  • Two officers do not get along and continually undermine one another. How do you handle this?
  • How would you handle another officer breaking the rules and trying to get out of being punished because she is an officer and thinks the rules should not apply to the Line Officers?
  • There is one officer that continually corrects and scolds the team about something that she herself is not doing. How do you handle this?
  • The line members are trying to overstep and tell an officer what to do. How do you handle this?
  • As a leader, you will have to handle all types of situations dealing with your teammates.
    • Are you able to pass out demerits and follow through with the consequences?
    • Are you ready to deal with the fact that as line officer, you will have to do things that will make your peers angry with you?
    • Are you able to instruct other peers on what needs to be done?
    • Are you ready to deal with the insubordination from your teammates when you ask them to do a task they don't really want to do?
    • How are you planning on dealing with these situations?
• List at least three answers to these Goal and Responsibilities
  • Reasons you feel you would be an asset to the officer line
  • Goals
    • Personal
    • As an Officer
    • As an Officer Line
    • As A Team
  • Responsibilities of the Line Officers
  • Expectation of the Line officers by the team
  • Expectations of the Line Officers by the director
  • Expectations of Director by the Line Officers
  • Expectations of the Team by the Line Officers
• Binder should reflect the auditioning member's personality and organizational skills.

Other Requirements

• To be eligible to Audition for a Line Officer position, one must have already been a War Dancer member for at least 1 football season. They must also maintain all the line member eligibility requirements.
• A solo choreographed by only the prospective Line Officer that includes various techniques, emotion, and showmanship. This solo will be anywhere from a minute and a half to two minutes. Said prospective Line Officer will also be responsible for creating a costume to match the style of their solo.
• Each prospective Line Officer will participate in learning a group dance.
• Each prospective member will give a speech to the team as a whole about why they would make a good Line Officer.
• The Line Officer positions will be decided by the Director, Director Assistant, Managers, Pervious years Line Officers, and the upcoming team.
• Will attend a Mandatory Line Officer Camp during the summer.
• Cannot have more than five demerits

Presentation should be on a tri-fold poster and should be split into six sections:

• Team Gift Ideas- This should include pictures of gifts you could personally create for a team that we will be interacting with.
• Team Building Ideas- This should include ideas you have on how to make the team stronger and bond together.
• Mock Facebook Post- This should include at least one example of a post that you would make if you were running the public War Dancers Facebook page.
• Mock Instagram Post- This should include at least one example of a post that you would make if you were running the public War Dancers Instagram page.
• Banquet Ideas- This should include a venue location, food ideas, a theme, the decoration ideas, various award ideas, etc.  You can set a budget plan for yourself, but it is not required.
• Recital Ideas- This should include a theme, decorations, shirt design, playbill design, concession ideas, etc.  You can set a budget plan for yourself, but it is not required.