They Glitter And They're Gold
Aelyn Thompson
News Editor
Waverly’s dancers are shining brighter than their glitter uniforms this 2014-15 season.
Competitive dance nationwide has been increasing in popularity in recent years, and competition has become more fierce as the number of dancers increased.
Schools have had dance teams (or “pep squads”) since the late 1920s, but times have changed since the Roaring Twenties.
Nowadays, dancers start when they are barely walking, let alone doing a pirouette.
“I’ve been dancing since I was three, and I’ve loved it since then,” senior dance team member Laurel Preuit said. “It’s a way for me to express every emotion I have and it is so much fun!”
Becoming part of school activities is a big part of today’s society and how teens are getting involved with things larger than themselves.
“I wanted to be a larger part of the school, but still in a group small enough that I’m close with everyone,” sophomore dancer Brittany Sullivan said.
Dance is something as individual and unique as every dancer on the team is, no matter how in sync they are with the choreography.
“Dance team practices as a team four or more days a week,” Preuit said. “On top of that, I dance at my studio five days a week. Dancers are dedicated to practicing non-stop, and I think that is a bit different than some other sports.”
The Waverly team proves itself every time it performs and has since it started four years ago.
“My favorite thing about the dance team is the reputation we have,” senior dance captain Skylar Asher said. “We were a brand-new team my freshman year, and everyone was a little skeptical of us. But, once we got on the court for our first performance, we finally proved to everyone what we do is worth our time and how much we love what we do.”
Each dance is choreographed by the dancers themselves, and the team showcases their talents at pep rallies, football games, basketball games and at state dance in February.
Watch the dancers at the next pep rally and basketball game; they glitter, and what they do is gold.
