Three established dance clubs — jazz group, Blue Strut (Strut), hip hop group, Hypnotiq (Hypno), and Afro-Caribbean group, Fusion — held tryouts for their respective Grasshopper pieces this past weekend. Scheduled for October 25 to 26 during Family Weekend, Grasshopper is an annual student-directed showcase celebrating dance, music, and other artistic talents. This year’s theme, “The Elements,” pushes choreographers to pull from the natural world — earth, fire, water, and air — as inspiration.
Hypno was the first of three clubs to hold tryouts on September 13 at 7:00 p.m. Samaira Hammond ’25, Co-Head of Hypno, spoke on how their Grasshopper piece aligns with the theme.
“We auditioned to the song ‘Knife Talk’ by Drake. It’s a really fun, upbeat song that gets you in the groove. Our element we are doing is the water and rain element. However, Hypno is doing a subsection of it: thunder and lightning. The emphasis we have within our pieces and in hip hop in general is very aggressive and grounded like thunder,” said Hammond.
Strut, which held their tryouts for Grasshopper on September 14, similarly chose water to be their element and inspiration for Grasshopper choreography. Using songs like “Hot N Cold” by Katy Perry and “Umbrella” by Rihanna, Strut embraced the thematic restraints while honoring the club’s high energy, jazz-inspired choreography. While both groups selected the same element, Strut’s distinct approaches indicate how Andover’s dance scene is a reflection of the community at large: diverse and celebratory of all student-body interests. Nina Torrens ’26, three year member of Strut, shared her experience with this year’s tryouts.
“They were super fun; the energy was great and the Blue Key Heads also came so it was a super welcoming and hyped up environment. The choreography was so much fun,” said Torrens.
The inviting, fun energy of Strut tryouts, as explained by Torrens, serves as a through line for club dance at Andover. In tradition, all dance tryouts are open to any students regardless of skill level and/or experience. Ultimately, groups are meant to provide opportunities for students to perform and choreograph pieces they can take pride in. This year especially, Strut, Hypno, and Fusion alike committed to ensuring inclusivity while maintaining performance quality.
“Hypno is a club and it is open for everyone; it’s very inclusive and we just want serious dancers. We had multiple dancers rolling in with a total sign up of 45 dancers. It was a lot but really exciting and fun” said Hammond.
The final group to tryout this past weekend was Fusion. While the three clubs, along with non-tryout based dance clubs like Footnotes, JVNE, Asian Performing Arts Club, and Photon, all produce different genres and energies, they are united in the communities they help foster. The wide variety of Andover dance groups ensures that everyone has an opportunity to share their passion for dance, as described by Torrens.
“Strut feels like a little family, so I love that environment. Especially the rehearsals leading up to big performances tend to be super fun because we’re always trying potential new tricks to add in and it’s always a great time” said Torrens.
Dance clubs at Andover carry unique legacies, being both rooted in tradition and a part of the ever evolving student-body narrative. With the help of faculty advisors, each club is organized and run solely by student dancers, serving as an avenue for self-expression through the passion of movement. When asked about the legacy Hypno specifically wanted to leave, Hammond shared her personal insight.
“For Hypno, I want to see a diverse group of dancers through all grade levels. I think that’s something we really need to push for within the dance department in general but especially with hip hop. Hip hop is less seen on campus, and I want to see everyone who’s interested in hip hop showing out and showing their personality… Using Hypno as an outlook and space for dancers of all ages is really important. Having a support system is what I want Hypnotiq to be this year and going forward.”
Dance club Grasshopper tryouts are a crucial step in moving forward. After selecting performance groups, each respective club will soon audition for a spot in Grasshopper, displaying their love of dance and community to a wider audience of students and parents alike. Whether one is a trained dancer or excited beginner, club dance at Andover invites everyone to participate.
