Time for another huge dance day in Metro East (the Illinois ‘burbs of the St, Louis area)! Not exaggerating: dances run from 8:30 until awards at 5. It’s an exciting lineup and a fun blend of teams that danced a couple weeks back at Belleville East and last weekend at Marion.
By the time lyrical wraps up (around 10 AM), heavy hitters like Highland, Edwardsville and Jacksonville will have taken the floor. Meanwhile, some of the state’s most talented soloists dance on side B of the schedule. From there it’s a jazz-fest with more big name headliners like AAA Normal West (known more for hip hop but creditably taking on the jazz genre) and Collinsville, AA Murphysboro, Triad, Highland, and Civic Memorial, and a terrific single-A group led by DuQuoin, Pinckneyville, and St, Anthony.
No doubt you’ll see some of these dances returning pretty quickly on the opposite side of the gym where many of these teams will again do it for the IHSA category. Throw in Quincy Notre Dame, Marion, O’Fallon, Jacksonville, and Herrin, and this turns into a pretty epic IHSA showdown.
It’s a short hip hop section but it packs a lot of star power: Normal West, Benton, DuQuoin, and a breakout Herrin team. And it’s pretty cool that Jersey not only brings a kick routine but also a hip hop to the floor!
That classic sizzle sound of poms cutting through the air will dominate the rest of the afternoon. On the pom side are teams that haven’t had a ton of on-floor time this winter–A Pittsfield (pom specialists) and AAA Granite City. A hefty 13 teams compete in the pom dance category! Single-A is pretty intriguing with category leaders DuQuoin and Althoff Catholic joined by a surging Benton team (normally a hip hop-oriented program). AA has this year’s breakout story Murphysboro going against programs more known for their jazz and lyrical work…Highland, Jacksonville, and Civic Memorial, plus the pom experts from Marion. Fans are gonna love the AAA pom dance talents of O’Fallon and Collinsville, who’ve both already qualified for IDTA state and are out to sharpen and refine their performances.
Edwardsville High School. 6161 Center Grove Rd., Edwardsville, IL 62025
Saturday, January 18. Dancing begins at 8:30 and 5:00 is the scheduled awards time
Dance Solos; Flag Solos; Lyrical/Contemporary (AAA, AA, A, JV, JH); Jazz (AAA, AA, A, JV, JH); Hip Hop (AAA, AA, A, JH); Pom Dance (AAA, AA, A, JV, JH); Pom (AAA, AA, A, JH); Kick (AA, JV); IHSA category; Lyrical Flag (AA)
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