There are certain questions that your pro-seminar professor cannot answer; truths that the super-intellectual math extraordinaire sitting in front of you in Linear Algebra will never know. Among these queries is one plaguing almost every male on this campus: What’s it like to be inside the practice studio of the Washington Redskins Cheerleaders?

I agreed to attend a practice with prospective Redskins cheerleaders all practicing for the 2006-2007 auditions, although my ability to dance is debatable. My debut as a ballerina occurred at age 3, when my Minnie Mouse ears fell off while I dancing on stage. Since the day this young Minnie left the studio, my experiences with dance have not improved.

A non-dancer with no flexibility cannot truly capture the reality of tryouts: the frequent practices, the endless commute to the home of the Redskins at FedEx Field, and the nerve-wracking thought that 14 judges will decide if you are truly worthy of becoming a First Lady of Football.

To my surprise, I discovered that Katie Kilkelly (NHS ’06), a four-year veteran of the Hoya Dance Team, was attending audition prep classes with the Redskins Cheerleaders twice a week to prepare for her tryout to join the squad.

Kilkelly began dancing as an Irish step dancer outside of Boston, Mass., and is also trained in ballet and jazz. At Georgetown, she founded the Irish Step Team and has been with Hoya Dance Team since she was a freshman.

“Everyone has been really supportive of my audition. The only person I had a hard time convincing was my dad,” Kilkelly told me, my heart racing as FedEx Field approached. “But I explained to him that all the dancers are required to have jobs or be fulltime students, and he finally came around. I’m just not ready to give up dancing.”

Soon enough, Kilkelly and I walked into the cheerleaders’ studio to see approximately 80 women ages 18-35 stretching and preparing themselves for the class — a diverse group of women whose races, sizes and ethnicities were as varied as their ages. Why did they all want to audition?

“I love the Redskins and I love performing,” said Melissa Banks, a 31-year-old mother who began stretching beside me. With a perfect ballerina figure and a face akin to Malibu Barbie, I bit my tongue before asking, This is you post-childbirth? Please, tell me your secret.

On the opposite side of me was Nikki Thiem, a mother of two. She laughed when she thought of why she wanted to audition, whispering to me, “Really, I want to see if I still got it.”

The prep class consisted of stretching, jazz technique, dance combinations and kick lines. With two choreographers and 10 current Redskins cheerleaders leading the way, the cheerleading hopefuls and one lone journalist began the warm-up routine.

Hiding in the back row, I thought to myself, I can do this! I can rotate my head to a beat! Of course, the hope quickly dissipated.

“Now for across-the-floor combinations,” Jojokian, the choreographer, announced. “We’ll start off walking across the floor, but put your own personality into it.”

Great, something I can do: walking. Despite my inability to “strut my stuff” across the floor, I was really having fun. Many of the girls were just as uncoordinated as me, and it was refreshing to Kilkelly, too, who was sizing up her competition for the final audition on April 1.

During the pirouette and leap routines, Kilkelly looked brilliant with perfect posture and casual ease. I was the last one to go across the floor, accompanied by two prima ballerinas. As the Ying Yang Twins’ “Shake” played behind me, I soon learned that I could not do a turn, so instead I hopped around on one foot and leaped as if I were hurdling at a track meet. I was that girl.

After countless combinations across the floor, we soon memorized a dance routine that any trained dancer would consider simple. Yet, the moves that made Britney Spears millions looked awkward and ridiculous on my body.

I shined, however, during a freestyle dance jam. I mustered up the courage to perform the only dance I have ever memorized — Michael Jackson’s “Thriller.” Thankfully, only a few women saw this pathetic attempt at coordination and laughed and pointed quietly.

The team had 40 open spots for new and returning cheerleaders, who would have to audition as well. That audition begins with a brief interview with the judges, ensuring that the women can speak publicly and represent the Redskins organization professionally.

Next, the girls partake in a freestyle dance to demonstrate their rhythm and ability. The applicants are cut, round by round, until a final, one-minute dance routine for all the marbles.

“You must be ready for the team, for the swimsuit calendar, and ready to dance in front of 91,000 fans,” Jojokian said. “This is a beauty pageant, a model search and a dance audition.”

Nearly 400 dancers from all over the world showed up at FedEx Field that day, ready to please a panel of 14 judges. Kilkelly ended up one of 30 finalists not previously on the team and one of six women who had never danced professionally. With 39 returning members of the 2005 Redskins cheerleading squad, Kilkelly competed for one lone spot.

Unfortunately, her run stopped there.

“I’m a little disappointed,” she admitted — despite reminders from the judges that most Redskins cheerleaders try out for years before making the team. “But I’m glad I made it that far. Hopefully, I’ll be able to try out next year.”

As for me, my Washington Redskins cheerleading experience ended a little earlier, muscles sore for a week, but nevertheless in awe of devoted dancers like Kilkelly. Redskins cheerleaders are paid only $75 for their services on game days, which typically last 10-12 hours. On top of full-time jobs, they practice two to three times per week and spend weekends dancing for Redskins fans. The hard work and long hours seem to do little to deter their excitement and ability to wow adoring fans.

Kilkelly, and others with talent many of us can only fathom, is too young to stop dancing.

I hope I am not too old to start.