Seen At The Mundelein Comp…
Posted 11/30/24 8:26pm
THE OVEN’S HOT
+ Time for that second helping of pre-Thanksgiving weekend, courtesy of all the teams at the Mundelein competition on Sunday, November 24.
+ It’s an old gym, and it gets hot really easily. But it’s one of the best regular season comp gyms in the Chicagoland area. Like, major levels of throwback charm, plus a strong field of teams. Mundelein’s had a late November showdown for several years now, and it’s always a top-tier 2A matchup of teams that’ll have to pack for an extra night at IHSA state.
+ But other teams have launched good-to-great seasons on this floor, besides that upper crust.
+ Back-to-back days of good-lookin’ invitational merch! The bag tags were a cool idea for the annual We Came To Dance invite.
+ 2nd-year coach Maya Gold set me up with an amazing workspace at the announcer’s table. While the side view doesn’t yield the traditional bleacher perspective, I did get some great walk-on clips — montaged in this reel (with yet another ‘80s hidden pop gem).
+ This was my second year in a row watching from the end line of the court. Besides the cool walk-on clips, it also lets me fully grasp the height of leaps and relevés, and the power of turns and floor-travels.
+ It’s also a hotspot of activity — the place where all the showrunners converge at various times to keep the comp running smoothly whenever something comes up. No downtime convos this time around. I did overhear, though, that the downtime playlist is a product of an alum — possibly an MVDT alum from years ago? There was a definitely mid-2010s vibe going on.
NOTES, NUGGETS, IMPRESSIONS
+ (for specifics be sure to check out our dance-by-dance story posts, archived in Insta highlights)
+ Definitely a sweet-looking trophy spread:
+ The day had the traditional double-sided schedule, so I had to stay on my toes to get comments posted without falling behind. Eventually I got too dazzled by the talent and my story posts got wordier. And as mentioned in the podcast, I gotta give a shout out to Anna from the OP-RF Drill Team for stopping by to say hi and calling me out on all the food references in my dance comments.
+ Great to see Elmwood Park start strong on back-to-back weekends. But 1A was led by a Nazareth vs Carmel matchup…on the last weekend before Advent in the Catholic Church, no less. Carmel was everything I expected, continuing a years-long arc of turning a low-mid program into a 1A powerhouse. Even better, they took home the annual spirit stick given to the team that gathered the most food donations for the local food pantry (fitting for a Mundelein school).
+ It was my 2nd peek at Naz, and I’m positive they’re going to find their groove as the winter unfolds. Putting aside scores and rubrics for a moment, that dance definitely has a postseason look. In fact, they’ve got a similar multi-season storyline like Carmel’s; it wasn’t too long ago when they didn’t really have a foot in that 1A door, and now they’ve busted it wide open for the past few seasons.
+ Ah, 3A…the neglected middle child of Comp Weekend 2.
+ I love how district schools can end up at a comp that doesn’t really play into the likely sectional assignments. Just go out there and compete, and dance against anyone and everyone!
+ So that’s what the two Downers Groves did at Mundy. Coach Jovic’s Fillies once again posted a strong season debut for South…though with that dreaded “2 dances, similar score” situation. Upside: if you go by the “eye test,” this DGS team is on the hot side of the spectrum. A good winter is already sizzling in the pan. Tons of skills, and they execute them in the prettiest way possible. It’s a level of polish I haven’t previously seen from them so early in a season.
+ North (I believe) has a new head coach, but last year’s breakthrough should definitely fuel their early season momentum. Sticking with recent DGN Athenas tradition, they brought out some refreshing music picks. And they’re definitely sticking with the musicality focus that’s been so good for them over the past 3 years. Might be the most musicality-talented team so far in 3A.
+ I think one of the best 3A stories over the past 5 years has been the rekindling of the fire at Bolingbrook. Check the records, and you’ll see that this program has honors going back to the ‘80s and ‘90s. Sure, not every season in that timespan has been ultra-successful, but the confidence and showmanship are a major fixture in their dances. Once again, they hit the floor, owned the floor.
+ The Warren Devilettes, if you analyze the sound of their fan section, are on a mission this winter. I loved the visuals (including the understated costumes). Their choreo has lots of intricate details, and they’re already pretty good at nailing all the little things.
+ One of the two teams with a mega-breakout: Hersey. New coach, big roster, confident vibes. I was there on tryouts night in the spring and had a great feeling about where things were headed. Coach Newland had the 8CA Summer Tour [and a certain national champion dancer] come in to work with her dancers in July. All of these pieces came together in a stunning debut, picking up a 4th place finish among a very good 3A field. 3A alarm bells are starting to ring.
+ Also with an eye-opening breakout: Oswego East. Full disclosure, this was an awesome surprise, like when you hit the drive thru and then you get home and find out they gave you one size larger fries than what you ordered. I have them and Cary-Grove in the same “bin” in my dance mind — excellent traditions of lyrical and jazz, and always a bit under-appreciated. These O.E. dancers, though, had an extra spark on Sunday to launch their winter. I loved their excitement during and after awards.
+ I’ve also got a soft spot for anything McHenry does — a legacy program in Illinois Dance that’s too often overlooked. I’ve seen solid pom, lyrical, and jazz work from them over the decades. Their dance showed an uptick in tech and strength, nicely paired with catchy visuals and formations. This one’s gonna grow.
+ Host school Mundy! Ok, last year…so much good stuff going on on the floor. I have to think that all of that experience has blended together into that perfect smoothie for season two under Coach Gold. BOTH dances are super likable, and I’d hate to have to pick which one’s going to be the “main” one. I think their 2nd dance’s ending had the most difficult musicality of the weekend with a challenging “winding down” of the song, tempo-wise. Dance 1 just added to the stellar lineup of hip hop throughout the day.
+ I’m rooting for this always-there, always-up-for-it Elgin program. Challenging competition to go up against every single weekend, every year, and they still come out and hit hard. Elgin’s dabbled in a few styles in recent seasons, but I think they’ve got something extra when they hype the crowd with hip hop. And they got one of the best 8CA typos of the weekend:
+ One of the best-kept secrets in Chicagoland dance is the Glenbrook North program. I’m used to thinking of their pom work over the years (they haven’t competed all that often until recently), so it’s cool to see them do well with a jazz / contemporary style. Check this one out for how to hook an audience with an intro formation breakout.
+ Side note: about mid-afternoon we, the lucky audience, were treated to 3 of the hottest hip hop dances of the day—Warren, Lake Zurich, and Willowbrook.
+ Taking up the most space in the fridge this weekend: 2A!
+ Unconfirmed, but I believe a new coach heads up the legacy program at Wauconda. Their lyrical focus has been one of the standout identities in Illinois Dance since the 2000s. This one’s a good watch especially for an outside-the-box interpretation of their song.
+ Here comes Lakes! This dance is every AD’s reminder that turnarounds take time—potentially, multiple seasons. Two years ago, Lakes was intriguingly better than what they had been. Last year, they were a legit state possibility. And from the first few 8 counts at Mundelein, I knew exactly what this team’s goal is for the season.
+ Crystal Lake South tends to look good on this floor, and this time it translated into a 3rd place trophy. Everyone knows I give extra props for routines with music that you have to count in multiples of three (ironic for the 8 Count Audio guy?). Showmanship’s always a big plus for them and I think it has to do with the program’s (deep down inside) pom identity.
+ It’s a genuine treat to watch these Geneva dancers at floor-level from the side. For all the pretty vibes in all their dances, my view of Geneva at Mundelein lets me appreciate the athleticism and technical training that’s crucial to their recipe. Judging from the positive vibes they put out on and off the floor, this is the team everyone would love to be on even if they came in last place. Could say the same of their fan section.
+ Thornton’s is one of those dances that works when everyone’s fully committed, which is exactly what the dancers delivered. I looovvveee hip hop routines set to mixes where you get a new shade of choreo for each song in the mix.
+ I knew from my fall halftime Willowbrook visit that this is a fun-loving team! I had a feeling they’d have entertaining tricks up their sleeves, just based on that one Friday night in September. They also rock my fave category combo for teams with two routines: hip hop and jazz.
+ One of the top pleasures of my work is crafting it and then wondering what…will…they…do…with…it? This Crystal Lake Central piece was such a satisfying watch. More of a baseline November launch, and I know the polish is sure to blossom. They unlocked the HD version of musicality: the singer’s words, notes, and emotional tone.
+ Who doesn’t love that Lake Zurich signature hip hop style? So many routines these days (well, from 2012 onward) are trying to get you to feel something deep and profound. But LZ’s dances, whether hip hop or their UNDERRATED pom work, are designed to make you feel goooood. It’s a constant party when they’re on the floor.
+ I love the basement dance room at Prairie Ridge, and so many good dances have come out of there over the years. This one is a prime example of prioritizing the storytelling (like how the start and end of the dance is like a matched pair of your fave socks). Get the story right, and all those other rubric puzzle pieces start to fall in place. The crowd’s gonna like this one all winter.
+ One thing missing from today’s music industry: “Greatest Hits” and “Best Off…” albums. So I thoroughly enjoyed Grayslake North’s “best of multiple hip hop feels” approach to their dance. First couple 8 counts and you knew the next two minutes were gonna be fun!
+ First— can we gawk at the remarkable turnaround that Burlington Central has crafted over the past decade? They went from a “sometimes at comps” team to a powerhouse in 1A and then 2A. Sure, this story arc happened throughout most of a decade and with multiple coaches, but here we have an XL program that the rest of 2A worries over each season. I really love how you don’t just get a long list of skills and layered choreo with them. Central gives you the VISUALS (whether it’s the overall dance, combo sections, each dancer’s face and body carriage). Lots to look at!
+ Fun fact—this winter marks the 25th anniversary of Antioch’s IDTA Kick category championship (AAA division, over Lockport, Fremd, Collinsville, and Stevenson). This team can take this routine places this winter with their clearly-defined initiation and close-out to each movement, plus a lovely quality of movement in between.
+ With five on the floor DeKalb has to maximize, well, everything. I picked up on the vibe that they’re willing to take on this, and any other, challenge. They’ll stand out in the jungle that is 2A if they keep up their refined style of execution and song expression.
WRAPPING UP THOSE LEFTOVERS
+ Instagram muted by audio from the awards livestream! So I spent a decent chunk of an afternoon this week recutting the video. It’s also week 2 of being mired in late-‘80s (forgotten) pop hits. More like pop GEMS. Be sure to take a peek at those 3 reels.
+ One thing the video could never convey: it was HOT in that gym for awards!
+ Ouch: penalties across all divisions at Mundelein added up to 6.50 points.
+ LOVE THIS: on the gym wall, the dance program’s state-level achievements go back to the early ’80s:
