With the fall sports season coming to an end, Prairie High School’s dance team preseason is in full swing as they work hard to perfect their routines and bring energy to this year’s performances.
After winter tryouts on Nov. 4, 5, and 7, the dance team is deep into its preseason preparation. They meet twice a week for two hours every Tuesday and Thursday, and once basketball begins, they will start their hour-and-a-half practices before every game.
Their rigorous schedule of learning 5 dances in 3 weeks requires them to learn a dance about every practice or two in preparation for having them all learned before the season starts.
Every season brings challenges, forcing teams to adapt, grow, and overcome the obstacles as a team. This season our dance team is facing a busy schedule this year with two new coaches, Holly Harm and Alexis Avery. “We have a lot of performances this season,” said senior and former dance captain Ellie Ogle, “our biggest challenge will definitely be how close together our performances are because they are one week right after another.”
But of course, our Prairie dance team maintains a standard of excellence and while a busy schedule is a challenge, “our performances for basketball season help us stay motivated because they are the best part of the season and what we all really like to do,” said junior Kayla Rhodes.
However, a busy schedule isn’t all that this season has to offer. With two new coaches, two brand new members, and a foreign exchange student, the team is implementing lots of team bonding activities into their pre-season. Their main goal for this winter season is to become a closely connected and bonded team. They have already made great progress, even before their season has started. “It’s been really fun to get to know the team,” said Rhodes, “I think we’re the closest we’ve ever been.” This strong bond will serve the team well leading up to performances, having a great effect when they take the floor bringing more energy and excitement than ever.
Even though the dance team will not be competing this year they will be performing at school events and basketball games. The team has been putting in lots of hours of practice and dedication to make this season a great one, so come out and support our Prairie High School Dance team at their first performance on December 10th!
