From high-kicks and jump splits to just hanging out on the weekends, the Royals seem to have a strong familial bond.

The Royals are Independence High School’s drill team.

These dancers have grown so close through their performances, they’re practically family.

“We do hang out on the weekends, we like hanging out in practices making funny jokes. We have those inside jokes we all like to tell. So, ultimately we’re a big happy family,” junior Sarah Melton said.

They put a lot of work into what they do and that takes up quite a bit of time.

This family of dancers all perform in competitions, events and school shows, all while trying to find time for homework and other events outside of drill team.

“It is very stressful to remember dances, to remember…time management with also homework and other outside stuff that you have besides performances and football games and contest routines,” sophomore McKenna Toporek said.

Although it’s a lot of stress and long hours put in, it’s what they had to do to keep their positions in the family.

“It takes a lot of hard work it’s a very long process to get a rank on a team. It’s multiple months…and dancing with your friends,” Melton said.

This drill team family wouldn’t be the same without their devoted instructors. The dance teachers feel as if the Royals are the very reason they wake up and why they love coming into work.

“Coming to drill team makes me feel happy like, we’re here every morning at either 6:00am or 6:30am, so if I didn’t like doing it this would be difficult. But if I know that I’m getting out of bed to go to drill practice and see the girls and Ms.Shaver then I pop right out,” Assistant Director Jamie Harmon said.

The team gives them experience, support and tons of friends that they get the chance to grow close with.

“My favorite thing about drill team is definitely the closeness and the bond of the team…my favorite part is all the friends I’ve gotten to get really close with throughout the years,” senior Shayna Ambers said.