Posted 5/26/26 3:52 pm
Norm Ramil
Not sure if you’re a “clean the grill after grilling EVERY TIME” kind of person. It’s one of those “should do, but I get it if you don’t” things. Is there something like that in dance? Like, “Fluff out your poms after every parade?” Let me know.
You’ve definitely seen our Insta story posts: we’re in The Pom Summer! The plan is to unleash some pom-focused content throughout June, July, and August. So heads up, coaches of pom-heavy teams — you might be getting a DM or email from the 8CA account to collab on content.
• At the core of The Pom Summer are 2 clinics taught by star instructor Maddy Vercelli from the national champion University of Minnesota Dance Team. We’re so blessed to have her back teaching with us for a 3rd consecutive summer!
• So the night I got back from Bloomington back on January 31st, an enthusiastic (and newly-nationally-crowned) Maddy V texted me with an idea for a new twist for this summer’s 8CA clinics. She was hyped about all the pom work that hit the floor all winter, including state weekend. With the style increasingly gaining attention especially as part of college prep, why not make it a part of our summer clinics?
• Whether you sign up for the Chicagoland clinic (Lyons Township, June 19) or the Central Illinois event (Washington Community, July 10), you’ll sharpen technique while Maddy teaches a pom combination, a lyrical-contemporary combo. Plus you’ll be part of our famous college Q & A session, where Maddy reveals amazing insights on prepping for tryouts, practices, game day, and just being on a team that’s in the national spotlight.
• We’ve made it an affordable, accessible experience — open to all levels, and individuals or whole (or parts of) teams are welcome to sign up. Later this week I’ll share some thoughts on why Maddy and our two clinic sites are the perfect matches for this summer’s 8CA events.
• And it’s all happening in what’s arguably a legit pom resurgence. We started to see more and more pom routines by big-name JV programs in the past few years, and now those dancers have hit the varsity level…bringing eye-popping pom skills with them. Match that up with what we see in other states. Throw in that college game day and comp factor (we’re definitely in the “college prep craze” era). And, as always, pom’s got that image as the entry point for less experienced teams who have had less access to growing up with studio training. And pom’s the bridge between what teams do in the fall versus winter. And it’s the cultural gateway for casual fans who first get to know what poms and dance teams are all about by what they see on Friday nights.
• Deep dives on all these points coming your way during The Pom Summer.
• Not that we’re exiting the dominant era of contemporary-lyrical or anything! It’s a little like how the NFL is king of the sports world, no matter what the trends are in other sports. Take right now, for example — the WNBA’s surging, and the NBA’s having a nice moment, too. So think of contemporary / lyrical as the always-boss style (at least in the 2010-present era): basically, the NFL in our little analogy. But pom is a surge you can’t ignore.
• Slick transition, coming in hot…
• Speaking of the NBA, I’ve gotta gawk at the Knicks and their superstar, Jalen Brunson. It’s pretty crazy that just a handful of winters ago, he ruled the court at Stevenson — one of the most famous dance comp gyms anywhere in the state. In the early 2010s, you could literally watch top dance programs battle for honors AND catch a future NBA superstar in the same gym on the same weekend.
• He’s also a great example of starting your career at “really good” and taking a few seasons to get to “OMG is this dude real?” Easily a storyline that’s available / plausible for any of the normal-human dancers and coaches out there. Be solid now and let the possible greatness come later.
• Slick transition #2, coming at ya like a pom pass…
• Let’s shout out recent Argo Sailorettes alum Josh Martinez, who’s a recent addition on the Chicago’s Sky’s dance team. The ’26 grad was named the 8CA Northern Illinois Dancer Of The Year for medium pom programs. I’m pretty sure I also saw a story post with legendary Argo Coach Dawn Palmer at a Sky game cheering on her new alum.
• There. Did it. Connected pro hoops and pom programs. Probably not gonna flex that kind of rhetorical wizardry on a regular basis, though.