“Pulse! Pulse! Pulse!” The crowd chants as the perfectly coordinated dancers seize the stage. The lights go out and the dancers begin to perform; a performance that has been several weeks in the making.
Led by captains Yzie Del Rosario ‘25, Beza Honelign ‘25, Lauren Russell ‘27, and Grace Bailey ‘27, Pulse never fails to bring the energy to Seattle Prep’s assemblies. The team spends the summer hard at work doing captain-led intensives in order to prep for the back-to-school assembly. These intensives are described by captains as “fun” and “lively” and foster a supportive environment in which the team can thrive as a community.
“We like to curate Pulse to be a family,” said Russell.
During the school year, they practice three times a week. Captains, however, are required to spend a significantly larger amount of time working on their Pulse duties. Captains are seen as role models on the team and work as co-coaches. Pulse choreography is completely directed by the student captains.
The dances that are seen at assemblies are a mix of different captains’ unique choreographies. Captains spend weeks organizing dance costumes, formations, and music; focusing on creating a performance that is achievable for dancers of all skill levels.
“I would say the workload for being a captain tends to be pretty heavy,” said Del Rosario.
Pulse captains are determined to expand the program and in order to do so, they ensure that all members of the team are given a choreography that they are able to complete confidently.
“I just hope that the team can grow and that more people can find Pulse to be a light in their life,” said Russell.
On top of this, captains are required to audition for their roles every year. Each captain writes an essay. After this, the captains spend around five hours teaching, learning, and performing dances in front of a panel of Pulse alumni. The day is capped off with an individual interview.
Despite this grueling process, the captains view this process as invaluable as they are able to deepen their sense of camaraderie and commitment.
“It’s totally worth it,” said Honelign.
