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Dance Team Competing in Virtual Meets

This year being able to do sports has been very hard for everyone, and most sports have gotten to do what they would normally do to a certain extent. Woodland’s Dance Team has earned 1 time NVL Champions, 2 times Small Jazz State Runner up, and 1 time Small Group Hip Hop Runner up but the team has been greatly affected. Usually, the season would start in the beginning of the school year, go through football season, competition season, and then end after the basketball season with no stop. But this year, they started in September with only practices because the football season was not happening. 

In October, coach Charlotte Stenz choreographed a dance for them and they performed at a few soccer games to give them a performance since they had nothing. These games were nothing like they were used to, only a few people in the crowd out in broad daylight.

 Then, 3 months into the season, the CIAC pushed winter sports back, which prevented them from practicing. Since the dance team is a spring and winter sport, they were able to start their season with the other spring sports, but then had to stop when all the winter sports were postponed. After having a little over 2 months off of dance, they started the season back up when basketball did. The girls on the team learned a new dance and performed at 2 basketball games. 

Overall it goes without saying that the girls were very disappointed with the opportunities this season. They all held onto a little hope, hoping that they would be able to have a competition. But as they expected, they were not allowed to. This is because of the large amount of people going to these competitions. Since they could not have any in person competitions Ward Dance Team came up with the idea to hold a virtual one to give the girls something to get excited about and to contribute to their season. Of course, they jumped on the opportunity. 

At first, they were given the opportunity to do a Saint Patrick’s competition run by Newtown Dance Team, but unfortunately, it fell through. The competition that they participated in was run by Ward dance team, 7 time Large Group State Champions, 6 times New England Regionals Runner up, and 2 time New England Champions. 

Every team that participated had to get music, choreograph a dance and perform it. It is very difficult to find the right song and buy it before anyone else does. Charlotte Stenz found a mashup for the team and choreographed a pom dance for them. Pom focuses on technique and performance while dancing with poms. This competition was sprung upon the girls on March 10th and the dance needed to be done and submitted by March 25th, only giving the girls 5 practices to learn and perfect it. 

A live stream on Tuesday March 29th was held to watch the dances from the other teams and stream the awards, ending the season.

Grace Tottenham

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