story by Libby Hyde, photos by Emma Wheatley

For the first time, STA’s varsity dance team was asked to perform a showcase dance during the Miss Kansas Dance and Drill Competition Jan. 15. STA’s varsity and JV teams competed in the competition.

Varsity received the following awards:

• a judges award for polish and precision in their mix routine
• a judges award for showmanship in their pom routine
• a judges award for technique in their jazz routine
• a sweepstakes award for participation
• a shining star award
• the best in show award

The shining star award of excellence was awarded for competing with three routines and receiving an average score of 250 or more on each one. The best in show award is given by the judges to what they judged to be the best teams at the competition.

Varsity performed three dances for judging, in categories of jazz, pom and mix routines. They also performed one showcase dance, which is when judges pick their favorite routines to be performed again before the awards ceremony at the end of the competition.

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Dance team captain Sara Meurer said it was really exciting to be awarded a showcase dance because they have never been picked for one before. She said it was the best she’s seen her team perform all year.

Varsity dance team coach Savannah Vose told her team she was very proud of them for performing so well.

Meurer said she thought the jazz dance was picked for a showcase dance because it is unique and original.

Vose said she was nervous for the jazz dance. However, it was deemed by judges as deserving of a showcase dance. The jazz dance was awarded second place at a previous dance competition in Liberty.

“We didn’t spend as much time on the jazz number, so I was a little more fearful for it,” Vose said. “It went really well though, better than I’ve ever seen that dance.”

Team co-captain Caroline Fiss said she was excited to perform the mix routine because they had been working on it since before school started.

Vose said this competition proves to be more difficult for her team because it takes place in Kansas, competing against a majority of Kansas schools.

“This competition is harder because we are competing against Kansas schools and we don’t compete with them at State, so this is the only competition we go against them,” Vose said.

In this competition, teams received different awards depending on the combined scores of each of their dances. This is different from the competitions the dance team usually competes in. In most competitions, the judges award places to each team and rank them based on their performance in different categories.

Meurer said the difference in awarding process between this competition and the ones that the team usually competes in makes it a different experience for the team.

“We are not here to beat the other teams because these teams aren’t against us at State, we’re here to get better,” Meurer said. “So I guess that means our biggest competition is ourselves.”

The competition featured a total of 35 schools, combined of JV, varsity and middle school teams.

Between performances, the team sat in a classroom of the school and ate, talked and practiced their dances. Meurer and Fiss gave advice to teammates before the second performance, and Coach Vose drilled certain parts of the dance that she thought needed work.