On Feb.23 the varsity dance team, coached by Natalie Kilgore, took 4th overall in their division at the Missouri Dance Team Association (MDTA) State Championships.

“Before the performances, we weren’t very nervous,” sophomore Alexis Baumgarten said. “It was a much calmer environment than nationals.” The team added a few more practices the week before state to make sure their dances were solid and to add on to their kick routine.

“Another thing we did was look up what teams we were competing against, so that we were prepared for our competition,” junior Maddy Oliver said. Before performing Oliver felt confident about the teams dances because they spent a lot of time perfecting them to make them the best that they could. The team took 1st place in kick, 4th Place In pom, making them 4th overall.  

“I knew we all felt like it was the best we had ever done our kick dance,” Oliver said. The week leading up to the MDTA State Championships the team really focused on making additions to heir kick routine by adding more lifts, tricks, and ripples.

“It was sad because we knew it would be our last time competing together since the seniors would be leaving us,” Baumgarten said. Baumgarten’s favorite memory was traveling with her team to Disney for nationals because it really helped them bond as a team. At nationals the team received 11th place in the nation for their game day routine.

“Besides dancing at the football and basketball games, my favorite memory was probably doing to nationals in Orlando, Florida. We got to compete against the best high school teams in the U.S and we had so much fun being in Disney World,” Oliver said.

Last year the dance team did not attend nationals or state, so it was a big change for them this year to do both of them.

“We have all been pretty close all year, but i felt like traveling together for something that we worked so hard for really brought us all together as more of a family,” Baumgarten said.