Neuqua Valley may have entered last weekend’s Class 3A competitive dance state finals as the defending champions, but Maine South went to Bloomington with the intention of defending its state title — from 2013.
The Hawkettes won the IHSA’s first Class 3A competitive dance competition four years ago. But for the last three seasons, the state meet and the Universal Dance Association National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Fla., fell on the same weekend. In the past, Maine South sent a “B” team to state and its “A” team to nationals.
Nationals are scheduled for today-Sunday at the Walt Disney World Resort this year, allowing Maine South to send its “A” squad to both state and nationals.
“It’s been such a long time since our program has gone back to defend our title from 2013, and we’re so excited to represent Maine South at state and national competitions,” Maine South coach Jackie Graney said ahead of the state meet, which was held at U.S. Cellular Coliseum.
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The Hawkettes (91.86) finished third at state on Saturday, behind champion Stevenson (93.86) and runner-up Huntley (93.04).
Maine South, which was coming off a win at the previous week’s Grayslake North Class 3A-1 Sectional, performed a high-kick routine to the song “Ocean Princess.” Graney called it an intense, emotional routine that was a bit of a break stylistically from some of the Hawkettes’ previous efforts, including its memorable 2014 routine at nationals that included light-up costumes.
“(During the 2017 routine) the audience (has been) really quiet when watching it,” Graney said. “Usually during (other) performances, they are cheering and saying stuff, but they (have been) quiet and enjoyed the routine and its musicality. The way we put it on, it’s like being at a Broadway show. It’s different.”
Maine South, which will compete in the both the kick and pom categories at nationals, has a team featuring 28 dancers.
Glenbrook South finished 10th (90.00) at the Class 3A state finals and also will travel this weekend to nationals, which team qualified for at summer dance camps. The Titan Poms, who have 23 members, will compete in both the jazz and pom categories at nationals.
At state, Glenbrook South used its jazz routine, performed to the song “Unchained Melody.” Coach Julie Smith said she felt the team had been a little tentative and nervous during the Jan. 27 preliminary performance, where the Titans also finished 10th (89.24). The top 12 qualified for Saturday’s finals.
“In the final round, we gave a beautiful performance,” Smith said. “We were able to put all those pieces together that we had worked on (after a disappointing prelims performance), and it came across beautifully.”
Glenbrook South senior captain Kendall Cameranesi said the state finals were good preparation for nationals.
“I think state was a great chance to go out at a similar size arena and on a similar dance floor (to nationals) and practice, technically, the performance before nationals, which is our biggest performance,” said Cameranesi, who lives in Glenview.
She added: “We’re super excited we have the opportunity to do both (state and nationals) because obviously in past years we have not been able to. (The jazz and pom routines) are both equally fun and competitive, we have an amazing team and we’re excited to go out and have the best routines we can out there.”
Loyola’s varsity poms squad competed at the Class 3A state meet for the first time over the weekend, placing 22nd (85.84).
The Ramblerettes had sent a JV squad to the event in 2015, when the varsity went to nationals.
With a 14-person varsity squad, only 12 of whom were included at state, Loyola coach Cindy McLean said her team may have been at a disadvantage when competing against bigger squads in Bloomington.
“It’s a challenge. You have to dance big. You’re against teams with 20 to 24 girls, who just fill up the floor,” said McLean, whose team did a jazz routine to Andra Day’s song “Rise Up.” “One of the challenges is to try to dance as big as a large team.”
That will not be a problem at this weekend’s national meet, where Loyola is entered into the jazz and pom categories for teams featuring 12 or fewer dancers.
At nationals, Loyola will be presented with the Spirit Leader Award for 2016, an annual honor handed out to one dance team and one cheer team. Announced in December, the award recognizes a team’s community service projects, spirit-raising activities in school and commitment to academic excellence.
Dan Shalin is a freelance reporter for Pioneer Press.
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