Number 79 walked into a dance studio at Texas Christian University alongside 83 other girls from all over the country.
She stretched out while shaking off the pre-audition jitters.
This was the day she had been waiting for — two years and running.
She loved the school — the campus, the vibe from the students and of course, the dance program.
Senior Jamie Florack found everything she was looking for in a school at TCU — most importantly a school with a great dance reputation.
Florack auditioned for TCU’s dance team on Jan. 22.
Her acceptance to the team will determine whether or not she will attend her dream school in the fall.
“The day before the audition I was a nervous wreck,” she said. “But an hour before I wasn’t so nervous — just excited to be there.”
After flying in to the Dallas-Fort Worth International Airport earlier in the day, Florack checked in at the studio and entered the dance room.
She eyed several judges walking the floor who would determine the fate of her dream.
“The judges were really intimidating to look at,” she said. “But at the same time, it felt like I could just concentrate because it was familiar to me — just class.”
The dancers started the audition at the ballet bar and Florack lost track of time. After that, dancers auditioned in either ballet or modern. Florack watched the other dancers’ technique to see where their strengths were.
“I felt like a lot of them were really well-trained in ballet,” she said. “Some you could tell that they were just born to do ballet and they were really good. When it came time for modern you could tell that the ones trained in ballet were losing their technique. That was an advantage for me because I’m not as strong in technique as some of those girls are.”
Florack said her acceptance to a college that offers a dance major is critical to her dream of one day owning her own studio. She plans to pair a minor in business with a major in dance to prepare for years of dancing in the future.
“I realized that I really love dancing and it wasn’t just a hobby or something I was doing for fun,” she said. “I couldn’t imagine myself not doing it. I realized if I wasn’t dancing, I wouldn’t be Jamie.”
