Senior Spotlight is a feature column that highlights graduating seniors at Rock Hill High School, interested in showcasing Blue Hawk talent.

For senior Caroline Hague, the school day starts long before the first bell at 8:37– in fact, Hague pulls into the parking lot even before the sunrise along with the other officers in order to prepare for rehearsal. Fifteen minutes later, after everyone arrives, practice starts at 7 a.m. with a group stretch led by the officers. It’s football season and the metronome ticks away as the band practices their halftime show while the Rockettes work to synchronize their choreography to the music. 

Hague has been dancing since age two and joined the Rockettes her junior year after taking dance courses one and two with Brittany Shaver who urged her to try out.

“I was ready for a change after all those years at a studio,” Hague said. “Something else that would push me harder.” 

Dance officers are certainly pushed to achieve more and are given responsibilities beyond normal membership to ensure they are kind, effective leaders. As First Lieutenant, Hague’s main responsibility is communicating with directors Campbell Gurley and Mallory Miner and relaying information to the other 36 dancers. 

“Caroline’s brain works exactly the same as mine, which, from a director’s perspective, is really helpful because she can anticipate the needs of her team and her directors,” Miner said. “Oftentimes we see Caroline analyzing and sharing critiques with the team before we even have to say anything.”

Although it’s only Hague’s second year on the team, she’s no stranger to perfecting, or ‘cleaning’ dances and often steps in to give critiques and ensures everyone moves as one. Attire is an important part of drill team rehearsals, as the girls must all look the same in order to make critiquing easy. Hague takes on the task of ensuring everyone is in the correct attire– squad tanks on Monday, all blue on Tuesday, matching practice attire on Wednesday, and so on. 

“Stepping up to an officer position has taught me a lot more about myself and what it means to be a leader, even outside of drill team,” Hague said. “It’s pushed me out of my comfort zone and taught me skills I wouldn’t have had otherwise.”

Officer tryouts last April meant a huge change for Hague. The weeklong tryout process consisted of a presentation, a dance career resume, teacher recommendations and choreography evaluations when each candidate choreographed four eight-counts and taught it to the group. At the end of the week, each officer candidate underwent interviews conducted by three dance judges, both directors and the AP over Fine Arts.

“The most nerve wracking part was definitely the judge interviews,” Hague said. “I remember walking in the gym and sitting in this one chair in front of them, answering whatever question they may throw at you.”

In addition to the extensive tryout process, dancers can be expected to be watched closely by the directors. From the very start of the season, directors are looking for potential leaders, not only on the field but outside of school, too. 

“After everything, we were all outside in the parking lot and we got an email with our name and rank,” Hague said. “I was just over the moon. The whole trial process was so intense and I felt like all my hard work paid off. A rookie member getting a high officer position isn’t unheard of, but I never thought that would be something that would happen for me personally. Reading my name next to ‘Lieutenant’ made me feel very rewarded.”

With a captain, five lieutenants and five social sergeants, everyone brings something unique to the table. After just meeting, it was Hague’s personality and sense of preparedness that caught Miner’s attention. 

“One of the biggest things Caroline brings is the fact that she’s so keel, calm, cool and collected under any circumstance so we know we can rely on her in any situation because we’ve had a lot of curveballs thrown our way this season,” Miner said. 

Hague has demonstrated her ability to take charge and change direction even when least expected. During the first football game of the year, the captain was out sick and Hague– as second in command– stepped up to lead the Rockettes and learned how to whistle her team onto the field just the day before. 

“In previous years, the officers weren’t as vocal in their opinions and we’re soliciting opinions and ideas from them all the time now,” Miner said. “We ask for input so there’s ownership for them and she’s grown in the sense that she’s comfortable sharing those opinions and formulating a plan to share. She makes her voice heard and her opinions are awesome.”

Through Miner’s coaxing, Hague has learned to use her voice to speak for both her team and herself. 

“Outside of dance, drill team helps me be more confident in myself because I was given my position for a reason,” Hague said. “I’ve struggled in the past with speaking up for myself but now that I have that title, it’s been a lot easier for me and I use that to my advantage.”

With her little sister on the Rockettes as well, Hague prepares for the challenges she may face in her new leadership role while facing new obstacles she hadn’t anticipated. 

“With such a big team, there’s lots of room for drama. It just made me realize that sometimes you have to work with people you might not be best friends with, so I’m learning how to separate personal life from drill team.” 

Although Hague doesn’t plan on dancing after graduation, she carries with her the lessons she learned and the memories she continues to make, from performances and game days to team dinner in the dance room. 

“I’ve been dancing for so long and I just want to experience college life without dance and be a kid for the last time,” Hague said. “It’s not in my intentions to come back to dance later on, but I never know what the future holds.”