I think I’ve stumbled on the JV dances. I’ll have notes and thoughts on the varsity dances coming up, as long as YouTube keeps itself together! I’m sensing a different DJ vibe for the in-between-routines music…some house music beats going on…nice!
3:56pm: de la Cruz
I saw this team at the Morris comp back in early December and they were way solid! New to the competitive dance scene as far as I know. Immediately seeing their focus on evenness of spacing and a love of performing for a big crowd. Full disclosure: I really, really enjoy mascots, so this dance works on a couple levels.
4:01pm: Lake Zurich
Tell all your friends: LZ is a killer pom team! The matching of like, everything (upper body, lower body, faces) makes the whole things so pleasingly crisp. When they hit a high V I’m seeing VVVVVVV on the screen, all with the same angle. Super clean transitions which is amazing given the lengthy roster.
4:04pm: Don’t let me down, YouTube!
I’ve got some catching up to do later, so I’m hoping YT keeps the stream up afterwards!
4:09pm: Streamwood 1
Hitting those sassy angles! The 2 legs of that V came together nicely. The Sabrettes have some quality floats and a nice jump to exit out of the combo. Suspecting some pretty good core strength to get those lower/sharp hip-centered hits to look so sharp. Sassy jazz: you often know what you’re getting, but it’s always a fun watch and looks fun to perform!
4:12pm: Schaumburg
Starting off with a note on how fun it is when team names are different from the school sports mascot / nickname–so here we’ve got the SHS Saxons and their dance team, The Sizzlers. Love that! OK back to the dance–nicely controlled pirouettes, right? Checking those traveling steps during transitions, I think they do feel the threes/sixes/twelves rhythm of this song. Love the expressiveness based on the singer. Cool look: 3 lines, alternate swaying–creates a good opposite dynamic. Also I appreesh how the guy has a role in selected moments of the plot line, but not the whole time. Breath of fresh air! I really like the trend over the past few seasons of teams finding old R&B songs with soulful, slightly varying tempos–so much great musicality available.
4:17pm: Buffalo Grove
Ah speaking of old R&B–well this is more of the familiar modern R&B rather than oldies R&B like in the last routine. BG is really good at making the most out of marrying the choreo with these costumes; they hit low, and it’s a good visual with the pants. Ah love that reach / extension when in the triangle form–living, breathing dynamic kind of look. I’ve seen this program do well in multiple genres over the years but they put out a comfy vibe with their hip hop work!
4:19pm: A classic song, “Tell It To My Heart”
Sounds like a ’90s or ’00s remix. Check the original from ’87–it’s SO GOOD! Taylor Dayne is the artist. Technically the micro-genre of the original 1987 version is Freestyle / Hi – NRG. Yes, for real! This remix is a house music sound from this century.
4:22pm: Fremd 1
Technique-y goodness! Pretty lines the whole time. Feeling that they really have internalized the soul of their music. Graceful upward motion on the lift. Mega-arsty height line with all of those sleek angles by each dancer. Tasty turns section with the jump to close it out. Gotta love the coupe soloist on center. Left side soloist at the end looked great! They definitely carry themselves like a team that’s heating up this season.
4:25pm: Deerfield
This team had a few things to say last weekend at Lakes/Antioch! Nice spacing during the intro. Really good example of staging dynamics (cycles of expanding, contracting). So hard to do what they do: hot-sauce synchro on the difficult stunts. Honestly I love the look of this dance on a gym floor–the showmanship pops! Looking for this team to be in the mix deep into IHSA state weekend.
4:32pm: Niles North 1
Flexing those jazz skills right away in the intro of this pom routine. Athletic to lean onto the floor in such a controlled way. I’m a fan of the off-center clump look in the middle of routines. Pretty nice a la seconde turners! They’re keeping their arms nice and straight during the turns that call for it.
4:34pm: Elk Grove
Saw them last weekend so it’s always interesting to see week-to-week growth. Whoa someone gettin’ antsy with that “play” button haha! Good turners on the edges during the intro. Lots of lengthy traveling during formation changes and they always keep their heads up, looking confident and controlled. Ah, even more solid turns. Definitely be on the lookout for this program–they’re back!
4:38pm: Conant
Big, talented roster for the Charrelles and they’re all light on their feet, committed to good body placement, and taking care of the little details in the choreo. Man they always hit that quick leap so well (the one just before the pre-chorus). Very nice a la secondes sequence. Really love the clump that supports the corner soloist–they highlight her and also do it with musicality. Whoa front acro pair was cool. This is one of those dances that’ll be a future 8CA Flashback just to let future fans know about the amazing visuals of the final :12!
4:44pm: Waiting for JV + 1A awards
Anyone else like that mustang logo on center court? Looks serious, fierce, but still ridable if you and it are on the same side of a ruckus.
4:47pm: Awards!
JV 2A 1) Deerfield, 2) Vernon Hills, 3) Fenton.
JV 3A 1) New Trier, 2) Conant, 3) Fremd
VARSITY 1A 1) Ridgewood, 2) Lisle, 3) de la Cruz
4:52pm: Awards notes
As I’ve said again again, that New Trier program has been simmering below the surface and is bubbling up! Ridgewood flexing — I didn’t have time for a full comment but I thought they looked like a post-season team. And sure, no Streator today, but the bottom line is that de la Cruz gets (what I believe to be) the program’s first ever competition trophy, yay! The school is part of the Acero charter schools, and theirs is located in the Rogers Park neighborhood in Chicago, if you didn’t know.
5:32pm: Harlem
They made noise right about at this time a year ago…so you’ll want to watch out, 2A! High-quality jumps and turns. Super graceful with the brief floor work. Long lines on the surprise leap. Really like the quality of movement even during transitions. Premium quality whole-team leap. Turns, aerials, they’ve got the whole package. Wow front dancer hitting that half split pose out of nowhere. Faves list!
5:35pm: Dundee-Crown
Got to hang out at one of their practices over the summer and they’re a fun group! Lift group and floor group equally pretty in that intro. Strong and flexible. Love the expressive quality. Pretty sure this is the most poised, controlled I’ve seen the D-C program in a long time. Studio-quality visuals with so many of the skills and that ending form.
5:42pm: Fenton
You know their go-to style, but I love how it’s always freshhhh! Super strong visuals and synchro in that opening sequence. Then they hit you with the fun floor double-time movement. Side elbow jabs look extra sharp with those matched levels and punchy speed. That line formation ripple on the half court line looks amazing on screen! Extra props for the symmetry between the opening and ending formations.
5:45pm: Evanston
Every time I see Evanston, I’m entertained–and it happened again! Love those matched levels when they get low. Timed that head whip perfectly. Love the playful changes in timing–the dynamic of punchy versus slow and sweeping arms. Some crafty transitions, too. I like the visual of their ending!
5:48pm: Rolling Meadows
Catching a lot of fun, little choreo details that are easy to read! Superior musicality. Love the XL look to the skills during the loud part of the chorus. Good turners. Acro soloist hit it. Expressiveness rings loud and clear, and they keep all arm levels matched during the final :15.
5:54pm: Hoffman Estates
The Tiercels Dance Team–I love that alternate name! OK onto the dance, haha. A very clean look to all the “and” count choreo. Pretty turns soloist up front. Really smart to go with the true lyrical-feel choreo during the soft part of the song. Liking the offset staging toward the end.
5:57pm: Thornton
This really is the comp with all the fun team names so far! Here we go with the Sophisticats Dance Team! Bringing the fiercest versions of themselves to the floor with this run today. Their synchro stands out, for sure. Love all the compact choreo details going on here by each dancer. Extra-fun music mix and they find all the choreo opps and make the most of it. Quality of movement fans, make sure you see this one!
6:00pm: Hersey
Appreciating that interesting lean-out to exit their nice pirouettes just after the beginning. And then the stream died, but I’m gonna guess the rest was really good! Oh wait it just came back. Love the matched angles on the bent arms. They do a lot of graceful things in the long lead up to the turns section during the “whoa-oh-oh” part of the song. Again nailed a challenging way to exit another little pirouette (or was it coupe) moment. Clean visual appeal for that ending!
6:09pm: Prospect
Lots of polish to all their movements! I love this contrast: during the soft “bridge” part of the music, they’re focused on expressing the vocalist–and then out of nowhere they hit you with the big, leggy acro! Caught some unique positions for exiting turns, including that cool moment where they gracefully fall to the floor. Plenty of tasty nuggets!
6:14pm: Vernon Hills
Sleekness all across the formations. They strike me as a roster where you’ve got a very steady, high skill level throughout. Really enjoy the studio-ish look to this choreo and also the uncommon staging ideas. Another quality that stands out: looks like they believe they were made to do this one dance at this very moment! Presence!
6:17pm: Larkin
Picking up on week-to-week growth here! Nice height on their jumps and leaps. Nailing the vocal musicality. Soloists do a great job. Crafty to use a very quick, compact roll out to transition after the quick leap. Big fan of the slow and certain look to their a la secondes sequence.
6:21pm: Wheeling
How ’bout some extra fuel for your Saturday night? Caught those straight and matched pom arms. Clean turners. Very good visual in the tight clump. Same with the nice height line section that came next. Always love that little floor pound–good synch and a fun, sneaky detail. Who doesn’t love a starburst finish?
6:25pm: New Trier
Big fan of their fall stuff and these days they rock it on the comp floor. Love how they majorly commit not only to the skills and choreo, but also even the transitions (that sliding one toward the beginning). Doin’ laundry because all these formations are way clean! Great reminder that besides athleticism and skill and showmanship…you’re gonna need those fun vibes to win over a crowd when doing this style!
6:27pm: Burlington Central 2
Looking like a team that’s completely in charge during every count. Stellar core control during turns. Outstanding visuals with all the matched angles. Challenging and smooth partner work. Wonder if I should replace the “!” key on my keyboard with a pic of their turns section?
6:33pm: Niles West
Oooh, some fire here! Love how they pretty much don’t anticipate / go early in the lead-up to those hip hop horn sound effects. Headsprings trio–they are a UNIT! Lots of fun formation shuffling. High priority on entertainment and showmanship! Just danced their way onto my faves list!
6:38pm: Lake Zurich 2
And speaking of entertainment, here’s a team that thrives on the XL visuals and command of the floor. Plenty of eye-pleasing and athletic symmetry going on here. They almost do their transitions like a kick team would, ya know? Love the look of the soloist in the middle of a frozen ensemble as she does her character-thingie. Love that ultra-fun lift section with everyone highlighting the middle.
6:42pm: Fremd 2
Stunning one-season transformation, right? Lots of technique-y flashes of brilliance here, like the floaty quality to those tilt jumps! Love all the interesting staging and I’m not sure there’s a team with this good of layering in the intro. Kinda fitting that they went right after LZ because that’s when they first made some noise, and then they made much, much, much more noise at Stevenson a week later. They look like they got the confidence to do some amazing things from here on out…
6:49pm: Streamwood 2
Love the look of that circular form at the start. Also a good look: fully committed to all the choreo details, especially above the shoulders. Very cool detail: no matter what 8ct you pick out, you can tell all of this choreo is a unified idea with motifs and themes. Sneakily one of the more satisfying hh dances out there this winter.
7:04pm: 2A and 3A varsity awards
2A varsity: 1) Lake Zurich (presumably dance 2); 2) Burlington Central (presumably dance 2); 3) Deerfield
3A varsity: 1) Fremd 2; 2) Fremd 1; 3) New Trier
7:09pm: Wrapping this up like a burrito
…with cilantro and extra cheese. Alrightee LZ bringing the heat (dare I say, hot sauce?) and I haven’t seen the numbers but those two dances have to be considered as fearsome frontrunners as we inch toward Bloomington. Fremd’s for real! Tons of amazing history with that brand name in Illinois dance, and it’s awesome to see the Fremd program blossoming right before our eyes. Thanks everyone for hanging with this “after four years I finally got COVID” live blog experiment! More tomorrow as I catch the Grayslake Central stream and (I think) the Catholic League stream. Pizza and playoff time!