Seeing Red

For more than 100 years, the Marching Hundred has been entertaining Hoosiers and IU fans across the country. In 1972, the RedSteppers were added, and they have been thrilling the football crowds ever since.\nPutting in more than 10 hours a week of practice, the RedSteppers work hard to perfect their routines.\nThey perform at each home football game with the Marching Hundred and also at one away game each season. The women receive two credit hours for each semester they are a member.\n"We do have practice every day and very long game days, as many of us discovered this past Saturday, but we all seem to balance rehearsals with school and our social lives," said sophomore and RedStepper Rhiannon Sharpe.\nThe squad consists of 24 women, chosen by auditions in both the spring and the fall. The competition is intense, and most members come from a studio dance background.\n"A friend of mine had been a RedStepper, and recommended that I audition," said Sharpe, who has taken dance lessons most of her life. "I was excited to find an opportunity to dance and perform, especially for such a large audience." \nCoach Janis Parker Cooper was a RedStepper when she went to IU, and has been choreographer since 1996.\n"Janis' guidance and choreography have helped shape the team into the precision dance unit that we are today," said senior captain Brooke Talley. "We like to call ourselves 22 individuals performing as one dancer."\nDespite the long hours, the RedSteppers said they love what they do.\n"Performing is the highlight, but even practice is fabulous, because the girls are hysterically funny, not to mention talented," Sharpe said.\nBut it takes more than talent to be a RedStepper, Talley said.\n"Helping support Indiana University Athletics through dancing is only an added bonus," she said. "Not to worry, although we retired our red jazz boots this year, we are still Redsteppers, anxious to help lead the team to victory"