The Dance Team didn’t hesitate to put their mark in high school state history.  This year, they were named the NCASA State Dance Ensemble Champions by sweeping both classifications and earning the double state championship title.

For the competition there were two Divisions to compete in, one was Jazz and Hip-Hop and the other was Contemporary/Lyrical Divisions. Wakefield won both competitions, beating other teams in the area.

“WHS Dance Team performed the best we could in both the Hip-Hop and Lyrical divisions,” said Shannon Proctor, the Wakefield dance coach. “They were far superior in the Hip-Hop contest as far as choreography, formations, and timing. They were the most confident and earned that Championship title with ease.  The Lyrical division was very intense, as many of the other groups were fantastic.”

This was the team’s first time competing in the state championship and was a great experience for the whole team.

“It was really cool and exciting,” said junior Lilah Ivey. “It was the first time we have ever competed as a team. Since we won, it was a cool experience to be there with our team and do something big. Our coach was really proud of us.”

In order to win both divisions of the state championship, a team must be well choreographed and superior to the other competition.

“There were a lot of teams in both divisions,” said Ivey. “They were divided into two sections and the teams competed twice in the different sections.  We won in both the Lyrical and Hip-Hop section.”

Before going to states, the team competed in the NCASA East Regional Championship and won in the Hip-Hop division. In order to make it to the State Championship, they had to perform well in one of the divisions.

To win the competition, it took hard work from each individual. Practices run by Proctor were intense.

“We practiced every day during class,” said sophomore Taylor Rabon. “We worked really hard and took Mrs. Proctor’s critiques to heart and tried our best.”

Many people know the Dance Team from their performances at the football games and pep rallies. This year, the team had another chance to perform, but this time to a different audience.

“It was a lot more nerve racking,” said Rabon. “At football games, the parents are the ones looking at us. We were not competing against anyone, but for the competition, we were trying to win.”

Performing and winning in the team’s first appearance at the State Championship is a huge accomplishment. Spirits were high, and there was excitement for the upcoming recitals and next season for returning dancers.

“It was a really good feeling,” said Rabon. “I was really proud of the team and all of the hard work and practice we put into it. Our teacher was very proud.”

Proctor was very proud indeed.

“These girls work hard every single day,” said Proctor. “You get no time off to prepare for being a champion.   After our regional contest, we used the comments from judges and videos of our performances to make changes, and figure out what parts we needed to work on to become better.  Even when they were tired, I continued to push them through. Our three captains did an amazing job of keeping the team motivated during rehearsals.They were able to win two state champion awards, the competition, and definitely represent themselves and Wakefield well.”