This Saturday, Clarke Central is going to get hot. Red hot, that is, as the University competitive dance team presents the sixth annual UGA Red Hotz Invitational.

The competition brings together 19 high school and middle school dance teams from the state of Georgia to compete.

“It was started to give high school dance teams a chance to compete and for us to give them feedback and help them improve. Hopefully if they come to UGA, then they would be interested in the Red Hotz,” said team captain Kate Nichols.

The event, run completely by the 12 Red Hotz dancers themselves, is the second largest dance competition in the state of Georgia.

Ashley Britt, a current dancer for the Atlanta Hawks and former Red Hot, will be judging the teams along with two other Hawks dancers.

Trophies will be given out for best jazz, pom, hip-hop, and kick line routines, as well as solo dancers’ performances. After the competition is complete, the Red Hotz will dance.

“We’re going to have T-shirts, posters, concessions, there will be a photographer there and they can buy the pictures,” said Lauren Kelley, lieutenant for the Red Hotz.

The event is the team’s main fundraiser for its trip to Daytona, Fla. for the National Dance Association’s competition in April.

“This year, the school helped us out a little bit. The cool thing about it is that the girls won’t have to pay anything,” Kelley said.

Last year, the Red Hotz placed fourth overall at nationals facing other collegiate club teams and some varsity squads.

“We were the only team in the category without a coach,” said Red Hot Orian Edelman.

The Red Hotz were formed as a University club sport in the fall of 2001.

Since then, the group has performed at events such as University basketball games, hockey games, homecoming events and the HERO Olympics. With the exception of annual activity funds, the Red Hotz are self-funded, a budget that easily exceeds $3000 after outfits, choreography, and travel expenses are tallied.

“It pretty much pays our way to nationals because nationals is a huge chunk of money. It goes towards the outfits, choreography for nationals, and travel,” Edelman said.

The UGA Red Hotz Invitational begins Saturday at 11 a.m. and runs till about 4 p.m. at the Clarke Central High School gym. Admission is $5 for adults and $3 for children 12 and under.