Dancing her Dreams: Girenko Makes the Denver Outlaws Dance Team
More stories from Kendall Ungerman
As any senior in high school, senior Vika Girenko had to figure out her path. She soon came to find out that dancing was in her blood. Being such a key part of the Dance Company and the Varsity Poms team, it seemed almost inevitable that she follow her passion after graduating high school.
Girenko and all of the other team members receive a rose, which officially marks their spot as a Denver Outlaws dancer. “It was so emotional to get that rose handed to you,” Girenko said. “The coach cut a lot of veterans off of the team to make room for the new girls.”
Girenko auditioned for the Denver Outlaws dance team on February 26. It was a long, exhausting, 12-hour day with an unknown outcome.
“We came in, we learned one routine, and the coach made a cut, and that was the group that made it to the semifinals,” she said.
This process was repeated two more times, along with two interviews, until the final decision was made as to who would join the team.
“It was emotional torture, because we had no clue what the coach was looking for that year,” she said. “There were also 70 auditioners and only four to five open spots.”
Girenko, along with the other additional members of the team, received a rose that indicated their spot on the Outlaws dancing team. However, her road to making it through such a selective process started long before stepping foot into her audition. Being on the Varsity Poms team, specifically, had an immense impact.
“Professional cheer is basically Poms. It’s the same movements, it’s the same style, it’s the same energy,” she said. “So without my Poms background, I would definitely be at a disadvantage.”
Along with gaining the appropriate skills she needed to make the team, the wide variety of support systems she had along the way aided in her success. Her team, coaches, studio teachers, and parents gave her everything she needed to feel confident in pursuing her dream.
The new team poses for a photo together after receiving their roses. They will perform their first time together on May 7. “We just dance and pump up the crowd throughout the game,” Girenko said. “We perform three times a game and greet and entertain the crowd.”
In the future, Girenko plans on continuing to dance on the Outlaws team and eventually auditioning for the Nuggets or Broncos dance team. Her final goal is to become a dance coach. No matter where her future takes her, the moment she found out she was on the Outlaws dance team will surely be one she will never forget.
“After twelve hours of dancing and sitting and hoping I made the team, it was so emotional to get that rose handed to me,” she said. “To get a spot like that was emotional and rewarding.”
Girenko will start practicing with her team for four hours every Monday and Wednesday. Being present at every rehearsal, game, and promotion is mandatory. Her first official performance will be on May 7, where her long journey as a dancer will truly begin out in the real world.
“I’m so honored to wear the title of an Outlaws dancer,” she said.
Kendall Ungerman, senior, became a staff member of the Eagle Quill her sophomore year and has since then worked her way to the editor-in-chief position...