Clinton Competition 2020 – 8 Count Audio

CLINTON IDTA / IHSA DANCE COMPETITION PAGE

UPDATES

FRIDAY 1/17/2020:

Central Illinois’ dance talent funnels into Clinton on Saturday for the next installment of competitive dance. At stake: last minute feedback from judges in the IHSA category before sectionals, and berths to IDTA’s state finals less than a month from now!

While soloists dazzle the other side of the gym, pom dance routines rule Side A of the morning schedule at Clinton. Future high school dancers get an awesome experience in IDTA, as evidenced by the eight junior high teams dancing in the pom dance category! Joining them are the pom stars from Elmwood (A), strong teams from AA Charleston and Lincoln, and the high powered AAA talents of Hononegah and Dunlap.

After a break and then Eureka’s production dance you get a block of pom category routines, again led by a stream of junior high teams. If you’re not familiar with category competition, a quick way to think about the distinction between “pom dance” and “pom” is that the latter has less emphasis on dance (jazz) elements and more on the visual and performance aspect. So fans in the bleachers get to see Elmwood and Lincoln come back with a pom routine, plus the always reliable Mattoon program.

It’s no secret that hip hop teams are thriving in central Illinois, and you can see it with how long the hip hop category is on the Clinton schedule! Six junior high teams hit the floor first, followed by a healthy selection of single-A teams led by Villa Grove. Triple-A features an exciting showdown between Thornton and Champaign Centennial.

As flag performance pick up the next batch of routines on side B, side A continues the jazz battles from last weekend. Top-tier Clinton faces a very good Eureka jazz routine in single-A. AA jazz action is led by Mattoon with Charleston and Peoria Notre Dame attempting to hit a state-qualifying score. Bloomington joins Dunlap and Hononegah (both of whom have already qualified) in AAA jazz. And don’t worry about the future of jazz in high school dance; NINE junior high routines are set to appear at Clinton!

While that’s going on the IHSA rubric heats up on the other side of the floor. Earlier this month we had Unity, Mattoon, Eureka, and Clinton going 1-2-3-4 at Villa Grove. Last week, it went Dunlap-Eureka-Mattoon going 1-4-5. This time it’s a combo of those lineups, so the sectional implications are pretty huge with many of these teams slated to battle at the IHSA St. Anthony 1A sectional.

It wouldn’t be a Clinton-hosted event without lyrical dances! Talented Eureka, Clinton, and Mattoon lead the way, and up-and-coming St. Joseph-Ogden, Riverton, Lincoln, and Bloomington will also to take the floor looking for a qualification bid to IDTA state.

THE LOWDOWN

LOCATION:

Clinton High School. 1200 Route 54., Clinton, IL 61727

TIME:

Saturday, January 18. First dance goes at 9 and awards are scheduled for 6:30

TEAM DIVISIONS:

Dance Solos; Flag Solos; Lyrical/Contemporary (AAA, AA, A, JV, JH); Jazz (AAA, AA, A, JV, JH); Hip Hop (AAA, A, JH); Pom Dance (AAA, AA, A, JH); Pom (AA, A, JH); Production (A); Kick (AA, A, JH); IHSA category; Lyrical Flag (AA); Tall Flag (AA); Color Guard (AA)