From a lifetime of dance to a competitive audition process to performing at the College Football Playoffs, IU School of Education student Autumn Horner has had an exciting career as a member of the RedStepper Dance Team, earning a front-row seat to the IU Football team’s historic season that culminated in a national championship. Balancing dancing with studying education hasn’t always been easy - but the sacrifices she’s had to make have been worth it. 

Horner, an elementary education major with a concentration in mathematics, has always wanted to be a teacher: “When I was younger, I often forced my younger siblings to fill out worksheets and pretended to be in ‘my’ class. Then, in high school, I was given the opportunity to teach dance classes at my studio. This was my first real experience teaching and leading a classroom, but I have loved it ever since. This experience really solidified my decision to major in elementary education here at IU.”

As a RedStepper, Horner has multiple practices and sometimes performances each week, making time management an essential skill for her.

“I have had to be really good about managing my time and making sure that my to-do list is done. My biggest trick has been putting everything into my google calendar and living by that!” She added.

The RedStepper Dance Team is an integral part of the IU Marching Hundred. The team focuses on many styles of dance, including jazz, pom, and hip hop, and has a tradition of executing a beautiful kick-line during each halftime performance. Joining the RedSteppers is an extremely competitive process. To be considered for the team, Horner said high school students must attend clinics during their senior years to gain experience, as well as introduce themselves to the coaching staff. Later on in the year, dancers are then asked to submit videos of you performing technique and various combinations, and may be asked to come to in person auditions, where only about seven new members are chosen each year. Horner started dancing when she was two and joined a competitive dance team at age six. 

“I knew I always wanted to dance in college and around junior year of high school I started to look into collegiate dance teams in and around Indiana,” she said, adding, “When I came to a RedStepper clinic my senior year, I knew this was the team I wanted to be on. I fell in love with not only the team and overall environment of the program, but also the campus.”

With the right tools and dedication, Horner has worked to balance the demands of college with dancing on a D1A dance team - and says it’s definitely possible for other students to stay involved and keep up with their studies. 

“You never know who you will meet or what doors will be opened when you go for something new,” Horner said. “When I auditioned for RedSteppers my senior year of high school, I never thought I would be able to experience a year as special as this!”