The varsity dance team headed down to Jacobs High School to compete in the IHSA dance sectionals. Senior dancers Lily Paul and Lauren Richards talk about the team’s experience and the outcome of the event.
On Saturday, January 20th, the varsity dance team had a quick bus ride down to Jacobs High School. There was excitement, energy, and confidence heading in to compete. Especially after a successful regular season with a 1st place finish at Sycamore’s invitational and a season record of 82 points at D117’s “All of The Lights” invitational.
“Our team’s enthusiasm was really high, and we were all just really excited to perform,” Paul says. “There’s always gonna be a little bit of fear when it comes to competing but we were all looking forward to this competition and just showing all the hard work we have put into this routine since November.”
Going into the competition, the girls were as positive as they could be, preparing to do the best they could. “Our team was definitely the most confident we had ever been,” Richards says. “And we definitely didn’t rule out going to state, either. As a team, we knew if there was ever a year to go to state, it would be this year.” The girls were striving for the best they could do.
“One thing about dance is that nothing is ever truly perfect. You have to think about so many things in the moment,” Richards says. Although that is true, the girls performed phenomenally and had high hopes of continuing their season. The dance went well, the spirits were positive, and everything was right. “The energy and cleanliness was through the roof. We hit all the moments that we needed to hit,” Paul says. “If you ask anyone on the team they would say it was probably one of our best performances of the routine this season.”
Although the girls danced incredibly well, the girls unfortunately came up just short battling against tough teams, missing the 6th place cutoff by only one point. “It was heartbreaking and a shock to hear how close we were to making it to state,” Richards explains. Falling short wasn’t all negative, though. There was a lot to learn and a lot of positive outtakes from the event. “After seeing our scores from the past few years and seeing the growth that the team has made, we were beyond proud of ourselves,” Richards adds.
The hope and confidence in next year’s team is high. There are always things to be better at though. “As a team, I think we could all agree that having to turn, jump, roll, drop to the floor, and stand up constantly in the span of a 3-minute routine can cause us to get very tired, especially towards the end of our dance,” Richards says. “As a team, we could’ve done a better job at maintaining our stamina. During our performance at sectionals, we were exhausted towards the end of our dance, and that showed through some of our movements.” Even though perfection is impossible to achieve for anyone, the girls strive to never be satisfied with where they are and to always work harder. “The team just has to bring the same dedication, enthusiasm, and energy that they had this season into the next season,” Paul says. “We have no doubts that the team will do even better next year.” The seniors wish the best of luck to the returning team, and everyone has high hopes for next season.
