AHS Dance Team on the Move

AHS Dance Team on the Move

by Kelbe Flathers

Official practice for the AHS dance team began Aug. 18, and is now off to a great start.  The team of eight girls participated in camps and practices this summer to choreograph the routines they will perform throughout the season.

The team members include juniors Lileigh Brown, Aubry Schwarte, and Emily Yager, sophomores Marah Bengel and Kelbe Flathers, and freshmen Hayley Gibson, Shelby Pelzer, and Jessica Williams. The dance coach is Emily Brown. All five of the junior and sophomore dancers are returning from last year’s squad.

So far the dancers have been taught four dances: hip-hop, pom, kick line, and jazz. They will perform all dances at home basketball games to show school spirit and demonstrate their routines.

In addition to performing at home sporting events, the dance team will also participate in competitions.  On Dec. 4 and 5 the team will attend The 2015 Iowa State Dance Team Competition in Des Moines at the Wells Fargo/Hy-Vee Hall. The group will perform their hip hop routine to the song “If I Were A Boy.” They will also compete in other competitions, but no information is available right now.

Bengel said that she thinks dance team is a very active and fun club, and wants more AHS students to be interested in joining the team. “Even if you aren’t good at dance, we would love for you to at least come try it out,” said Bengel.  Bengal also thinks dance team should be considered a sport if cheerleading is. “It makes me mad that cheer is counted as a sport and dance team isn’t. In my opinion we do more in dance than I ever had to do in cheer.” Athletic director Matt Alexander said the reason it is considered a club rather than a sport is because “the state association doesn’t govern them as a statewide sport, and it’s governed by its own oversight group.”

Alexander thinks the dance team is good, but the numbers are low and he would like to see more students involved.  “We have to have 10 students out for it to stay, and we need to get it higher. They have great routines and I would like to see them grow.”  He also said that he would like to see them dance at more activities, even at halftime during a football game.