NATCHEZ — Five, six, seven eight, clap, clap, stomp, turn, stomp.

The count-off and rhythm was repeated hundreds of times at Duncan Park Friday as area teens tried out for a spot on The KCs — an all-girl step team based in Natchez.

When The Dart landed in the park, it found a dozen or so girls repeating steps instructed by alumni members of the step team, which began in 2004.

Team sponsor Kim Lyles has been involved with the team since the beginning and said the KCs pride themselves on having fun, mentoring young girls and giving back to the community.

“We have a lot of fun, but we also try to keep the girls out of trouble,” Lyles said. “We have sleepovers and movie nights and get them out in the community.”

The team performs at events and parties as well as hosts its own fundraisers and parties. The girls also frequent area nursing homes, where they visit with residents and perform step dances for them.

That is one of the best parts about being on the KCs, said member Kristen Sewell, a sophomore at Natchez High School.

“Helping the community is a big part of why I like being (on the team),” she said. “It also prepares you to be a lady.”

NHS junior and team member Kateiria Noble said the KCs learn discipline as well as how to carry oneself as a young woman.

“And it’s really fun, too,” she said. “We meet new people, and that’s great, too.”

The guidance as a young woman and lead-by-example attitude of the KCs brought Natchez freshman Kamryn Bernard out to tryouts.

“They are classy and really carry themselves like ladies,” Bernard said.

The KCs also have to maintain a certain GPA, and members must submit their report cards regularly. A transcript evaluation is also a condition of joining the team, Lyles said.

“There’s a lot expected of them,” she said. “We are passionate about steering them in the right direction and giving them an opportunity to be a part of something different.”

And once a KC, always a KC.

“Once you join, you’re always a part of the group,” Lyles said. “You become alumni, and that’s how we keep it going. The girls who were members, they come back and help, and we get a lot of support from parents and the community as well.”

The sisterhood of the KCs is evident and the main reason Natchez freshman Janiya Watkins showed up Friday to participate.

“Sisterhood is everything with this group,” she said. “They’re a team. You don’t want to be a part of something that leaves you out; you want to be a part of something that’s going to treat you like family, and that’s what they do.”