The dance team at Wakefield High School is having many difficulties due to COVID-19, but with the support of Shannon Proctor and Lauren Writtenberry, they are trying to make this year just as great by making it feel like the dance team has never changed.

All sports are having difficulties, but dance may miss out on some of the hype since it isn’t a team sport. Dance uses all parts of the body resulting in a  full-body workout. Working out the whole body comes with heavy breathing making wearing a mask a little bit more uncomfortable, but the Wakefield High School dance team will do anything to do what they love.  

“I miss seeing them bond together and help each other learn a new skill,” said Writtenberry, Wakefield’s Culinary Arts teacher and the  JV team dance coach.

The dance team has to deal with a lot of pressure learning choreography alone at home, especially for the new members. For coaches, it can also be hard to only have one practice a week and try to get everything taught within that limited time. 

“[There] is an energy you can only feel when live, not [through] a computer screen,” said Proctor, Wakefield’s full-time dance teacher.

Dance is an all-year sport, with two competitions a year. Since this year is different, the dance team is going to be having only one big competition. They will be sending a video of the routine they worked on all year in a video to judges in January of 2021. 

“The main difference with everything being online is the loss of opportunities we have to connect,” said Lily Calhoun, a dancer on the JV squad.

During football season everyone loves watching our talented dancers on the sidelines. Sadly, since they cannot perform at basketball games Proctor and Writtienberry are doing their best to convince the school to let them have their time to shine. 

“Football games really loosen me up personally, the vibe is always good,” said Merritt Williamson, varsity dancer and previous JV team captain.

To show your love for our school’s dancers make sure to watch when they start to perform live again. To learn more about the dance team, contact Shannon Proctor.