8 Things We Know About This Season (So Far)

by Norm Ramil / 8ca.team.leader & music.person

Two comp weekends, Thanksgiving break, and then another comp weekend, all in the books. What do we know about the IHSA 2018-19 competition season? A lot, and it’s all been said on the dance floor.

Well, most of it. Dance teams across Illinois had their plot lines reshaped by the release of the sectional assignments on Thursday morning. It feels a little like an entirely new season; some doors feel bigger and a lot of them feel a little tighter to squeeze through. More on that in another post.

For now, let’s run through 8 things we know about our season…so far!

1: JV teams are killing it!

It used to be that JV dance routines looked like JV dance routines. They were choreographed to match the skill and experience level of JV dancers, who are mostly sophomores and freshmen. You had to appreciate performances by dancers who were still developing their skills and getting used to not only competing, but high school itself.

This year (and really starting a couple seasons ago), many JV dances—even by mid-level programs whose varsity teams might not get to state—look like mini-varsity routines. The expectations are way higher and these JV dancers have delivered. JV routines look more sophisticated and feature skills that would’ve looked at home on a varsity tryout rubric 10 years ago. Instead of performing “JV choreography,” today’s JV dances genuinely look like varsity routines, just performed at a JV level. 

Stevenson and Lake Park have traditionally boasted stellar JV programs who put on crisp, artistic performances. Among this year’s best JV dances are routines by Neuqua Valley and Lincoln-Way Central.

2: Teams are having breakout seasons

A handful of programs are thriving and it’s so cool to see some new players shaking up our expectations. Glenbard West isn’t a stranger to big sectional performances, but both levels of their program look the strongest they’ve ever been. Their counterparts over at Glenbard East show a pretty serious upgrade, too. Last year revealed a subtle preview of this year’s very good Hoffman Estates dance team. Hampshire’s been solid for several years but they look like they’ve taken it up a notch.

One of the biggest turnarounds? Burlington Central. Dance has always been huge in Kane County, and this program’s makeover is pretty stunning.

I can’t really call them a breakout since they were a dominant 1A team just a couple seasons ago, but let’s all welcome back Genoa-Kingston. After the program sat on the shelf for the 2017-18 season, they’re definitely back and showing that they haven’t missed a beat.

A pair of crosstown teams look like they’re solidly back and ready to take on all rivals: St. Charles East and North. The two haven’t been this sharp together in forever, and it’s awesome to see them thrive simultaneously!

3: The leo trend

Taking a cue from last year’s 3A champions, studio teams, and hundreds of Minnesota high school dance team videos on YouTube, more and more teams are opting for the straight up leotard for their jazz costumes. I’ve heard that long-skirt costumes can be a double-edged sword, letting you hide some technique issues, but also masking good technique. Whatever your personal take on leotards is, it’s hard to deny that this look is another sign that IHSA dance is a jazz-dominated circuit.

4: An uptick in pom routines

Despite what I just said in that last sentence, I’m feeling a slight resurgence in pom. Maybe it’s a backlash against all the jazz and contemporary, maybe it’s pressure from ADs wanting more traditional performances they can relate to, or maybe it’s just matching a style to a roster. In any case, it’s refreshing! 

I sat with a coach at one of the early competitions last month and we made guesses about how many pom routines we’d see that day. I forget the over/under, but it ended up way over. And the pattern repeated itself at most of the competitions we’ve watched. 

5: A new hotspot?

If you’re from the northern part of the state, where was the epicenter of dance throughout most of the 2000s and 2010s? You’d probably say it was in the north and northwest Chicago suburbs, with hotspots along the Fox River, southern Naperville, and a certain 1A team about 40 minutes east of St. Louis. 

Not that it’s totally changed. But considering last year and this year, we’re seeing a lot of success blooming in the western suburbs. There’s a lot more going on in this area than Geneva, Lake Park, and Neuqua Valley. Credit the local studios and ambitious coaches for bringing (630) to the front. Oh, and last year’s 3A champs. 

6: IDTA’s resurgence

We lost our categories when IHSA took over in 2012, and then in 2015 a few competition hosts figured out there’s no rule against category awards at their competitions. 

IDTA’s always enjoyed a strong following in the southern half of the state, with a few loyal programs from the Chicago area also competing. IDTA’s also been popular among a few Chicago-area JV teams as a place they can compete for a state title.

This season, these traditional IDTA teams are joined by more and more varsity dance programs from the Chicago area looking for a different competition experience. 

Proof? Check out the weekly IDTA comp schedules. Most of them are now day-long events, and haven’t been this full since 2006, the final season before the IDTA-TDI breakup. They’re back. 

7: Solve the rubric cube

OK that was a cheesy ’80s reference, but the new rubric is here and everyone’s adjusting–dancers, coaches, judges, and even fans. It takes time, and there are definitely going to be bumps along the road.

One division where it’s been more of an adjustment has been 2A, where scores have, overall, trended lower than what we’re used to. If I had to guess, this will straighten itself out sooner than later, but it’s another question mark in the most evenly-matched and unpredictable of our three IHSA divisions.

8: High-level teams finding an even higher level

If you’re already really good, what if you got better?

Last year it was Antioch, a successful program that just all of a sudden crushed it. Same with Joliet Catholic, who’d been so successful outside of IHSA and rocked it in their first year of IHSA competition. And the big example from last season, of course, was York, going from probable qualifier to serious contender to state champs in just a few seasons.

This year it’s Deerfield, Andrew, and Lincoln-Way Central. They were already more than likely going to have seasons that ran all the way to that marley floor. But their performances so far show that they’ve spent the summer and fall kicking it up several notches. 

Upgrades catch everyone’s attention when you’ve been a mid-tier program. But when you’re already a powerhouse and somehow find that next level? That definitely sends a message.