They caught everyone’s attention with a high finish in an elite dance conference. Now, Hampshire Dance Team looks to take the next step forward. by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio chief.music.officer & dance.fan Hampshire can be a hard…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio chief.music.officer & dance.fan When I was putting together a spreadsheet listing each team’s accomplishments at past state competitions, I literally ran out of room when I got to Highland’s row. Up until then I’d…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan Got another musicality playlist for ya! A lot of us are on the road this summer–dance camps, family vacays, and of course the 8 Count Audio Summer Tour. So…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio chief.music.officer & dance.fan Three walls of Batavia’s in-school dance studio are mirrored. The back wall has its own important role: showing off the program’s achievements through the years. These days, shelves hold up the…
by Brittany Hayes, 8CA Staff Writer [dropcaps type=’normal’ color=” background_color=” border_color=”]S[/dropcaps]ummer for dance teams is supposed to be considered the offseason, but in preparation for the fast approaching season, many coaches may choose to participate in town parades for the many…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer At the end of my sophomore year in high school, I obtained an injury that I now continue to struggle with, 4 years later. It changed my life in many ways, from taking away…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio chief.music.officer & dance.fan It’s a steamy morning in mid-June, and the Downers Grove South Dance Team is hard at work in a small gym with the outside doors propped open. The summer air isn’t much…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan Musicality is a huge theme with 8 Count Audio and my approach to making music and dance work well together. If you’ve ever worked with 8CA, you’ve probably had…
by Taylor Babcock, 8CA Staff Writer [Waubonsie Valley Dance Team alum Taylor was part of the program’s rapid rise over the past few seasons. If you’re relatively new to choreographing a pom routine, read on for some fundamentals in putting together…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer During the spring and early summer months, dance team auditions go into full swing. Whether you are trying out for a high school, college, or professional level team, it can be extremely nerve-wracking, so…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer The Stevenson Varsity Dance Team is a force to be reckoned with in the IHSA competitive dance 3A division. They made a strong mark in IHSA dance in 2013 with their unbelievable speech routine,…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan [dropcaps type=’normal’ color=” background_color=” border_color=”]Y[/dropcaps]ou probably know Morris as a pom and hip hop team. I think the moms sitting near me at the Grayslake Central competition had this…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer A power-house in the hip hop world, the Warren Township High School varsity dancers are sixteen dedicated and talented girls. They consistently stand out at competitions and excite the audience and judges alike with…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer The Vernon Hills Dance Program has been making its mark in the Illinois High School dance world for many consecutive years, holding many high titles in both TDI and IHSA. They compete in the…
by Mallory Peters, 8CA Staff Writer Grant Community High School is built on a mission that states, “Each student will be provided the opportunity to develop intellectually, emotionally, and physically in a supportive environment.” It is located in Fox Lake,…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan Let’s throw it back to the days when your team’s dance was judged versus other dances of the same style. Category-based competition makes up the bulk of Illinois’ competitive dance…
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer The Libertyville dance team is a greatly admired group of girls in the dance community. With their extremely emotional yet precise performances, they are very successful and consistent year after year. They compete in…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan Glenbard West is old-school. Like, literally. The castle-like building on a hill was built in 1922 when the foxtrot and Charleston were the hot club dances. But the dance…
by Norm Ramil, 8 Count Audio creative.director / chief.music.officer / dance.fan Here’s every 1A routine from the 2016 sectionals ranked by points. Teams in pink qualified for state. Note the high overall rankings of teams that didn’t qualify. In other…