I continue to be astonished at what these JV teams are doing this season. Lots of dedication all around to pull off choreo that, not too long ago, would’ve been varsity-only. Gotta shout it out to the developing dancers, dancers who would rather be on varsity but have made the most of a winter on JV, assistant and JV coaches–there’s definitely a fun yet gritty aspect to being putting on a successful JV season. The FVC might have the best all-around JV rosters in the state.
6:15pm: That enthusiastic P.A. announcer
Can I hire this guy to introduce me every time I go somewhere, like pulling up to a gas station or the Portillo’s drive-thru?
6:18pm: Forgot to mention another unsung aspect of JV coaches
They prep their own teams, go out and coach the performance, and then run over to help prepare varsity no matter what their official coaching title is within the dance team organization. Hard workers!
6:22pm: Dancing On My Own, the preferred version
They just played Robyn’s “Dancing On My Own,” the upbeat and original version. I mean Calum Scott’s cover is alright and all, but Robyn’s got major credit in multiple genres. She had huge POP hits in the ’90s, had indie dance NON-HITS in the ’00s (with a lot of critical acclaim), and spent the ’10s firmly in the indie pop / indie dance / indie rock category. Check out her mega pop hit “Show Me Love” from the spring of ’97. Not to be confused with fellow ’90s dance pop artist Robin S., whose biggest song was “Show Me Love,” which you should also check out. Not to be confused with…get this…dance artist Robin Schulz and HER different song called…yes…”Show Me Love.” Did I just make your head explode?
6:35pm: McHenry
Fantastic turns solo feature during the first verse! Props to the a la secondes turners making all those angles so easy to read (the stream has a pretty far-away view). I really like the 4 + 3 look with the lift on the right and turns group on the left, set so widely apart. Extra-cool ripple visual on the center court line. This roster definitely maximized this dance and the performance aspect! Among the mid-pack teams out there, I’ve gotta say that these dancers stand out!
6:37pm: Lemme slip in some gratitude
Thanks SO MUCH to 3 special collaborators this winter–Coach Alli Heckman for being my podcast partner each week, Coach Haley Kruis for being my broadcast partner for a couple comps, and Coach Eva Newland for (going back to last March) choreographing last season’s 8CA All-State routine and helping out at a couple of our recorded competition broadcasts.
6:42pm: Prairie Ridge
On one hand this program is always dependable for good execution, and on the other hand they’ve got some sneaky flash and charisma! Love the modern jazz / studio vibes that they portray so well in this one. Back attitude jumps are easy to read from far away. Nice work by the floats group. Mirrored turners are such a cool look. Good conditioning lets them execute that lift close to the end nice ’n’ clean. Nice work, PR! (Personally, over the years, I refer to them as P-Ridge, but I know the locals tend to go for “P.R.”)
6:49pm: Burlington Central
Yeah, Central—hot as a ghost chili pepper right now! That chilling moment where they freeze just before the main vocal starts is gold! Amazing at matching angles, and all the synchro of the little things (not just the big skills). Great spacing really shows during the a la secondes sequence. Soaring like a ___ (insert school mascot name here). Tons of talent, and I especially love the arc of their season–gradually asserting themselves and then looking formidable by the Stagg comp, and then building on it this month.
6:56pm: Jacobs
I’m really proud of this team and their coaches. So much thought and heart is evident in the choreo. Beautifully crisp execution: they flex it right away and never let go for the next couple minutes! So much air time with every off-the-floor skill—so angelic and majestic. Killin’ those a la secondes! Lots of grace by the aerial soloist. Max-level eye-pleasing visuals to wrap up this gem.
7:04pm: Dundee-Crown
What a great example of controlled, deliberate, committed movement to open the routine! Props for that form by the grand jete leapers. Whole team is gorgeous at any arching type of body positioning. All the lift groups featured nice, straight lines! Love this routine for its living/breathing kind of quality to it. It’s a nice statement about how far this program has come in the IHSA era!
7:12pm: Crystal Lake South
Made a statement during Comp Weekend 7 and again here at conference. Easy to pick up on their underlying pom showmanship as they skillfully execute this intense jazz choreo. Super nice, full, long-duration fan kick is just one of the many great visuals in this one. Front turns-to-splits group was impressive! Aggressive staging ideas looked good. Showed that they know the rhythm of this song (threes or sixes or twelves)—nice, organic musicality!
7:13pm: A thought about the emotions of sectionals week…
Enjoy every moment—the preparation, the anxiety, the clashes and heated emotions during intense practices, the humor, the butterflies, all 5 senses. When Saturday’s over, no matter what: don’t just remember the outcome. Savor the experience!
7:23pm: Hampshire
Artsy opening! Excellent at matching pom arms and body positioning. Props to the team for keeping it going after the music went away! I’m sure they’ll get to go again later. Always scary when the crowd counts out the routine (who knows if the team’s internal tempo is reasonably close to the crowd’s clapping). But an amazing run—clean, legible, and as good as can be with missing music.
7:29pm: Huntley
The cool thing about having a signature style is that people know what you’re gonna give them…but people also LOVE to be reminded! There’s a freshness every year to their very singular hip hop style—it’s just too fun to not love! Nailed the first floor trick and some nice lines, too. Excellent visual candy with all those formations. Super strong to make all the tricks look so light and controlled and compact. They got a clear command of how to sharply show off those “and” counts! Athletic but with ++personality, also.
7:36pm: Crystal Lake Central
Classy and chic, and ultra-lovable visuals! Flexing some barre technicians during several key spots in the song. They excel when in full-ensemble mode, though the layered / featured groups moments are tasty! Outstanding portrayal of the innocent passion of this heart-stirring R&B song. If you’re a singer-songwriter with a piano, you’ll want this team to dance your song! So proud of what they’ve done with this.
7:48pm: Cary-Grove
Fantastic moments of breath create some heavenly emotional dynamics! Pretty coupe soloist on the side. Excellent, “big” look to the leaps ripple to set up the chorus. Very nice set of a la secondes. Corner turns pair knows their business! Some of the best layering to a pure lyrical dance this winter. Soloists are great at any off-the-ground skill. High potential to scramble sectionals predictions with all this talent on the roster.
7:57pm: Hampshire run 2
Good timing on that toe touch. Easy to read the rippled pom arms. Athletic level changes, solid showmanship, strong cores to do that floor side plank and the matched angles! Lots of cred to the team for having the stamina to rock this dance twice within about 30 minutes!
8:00pm: Old Town Road
It’s been 5 years since this track OWNED pop music in 2019, so it’s worth mentioning to the current generation of HS dancers that this song was unbelievably dominant for most of that year. Makes Cotton Eye Joe look like nothin’…
8:03pm: The OTHER way to get to state
While waiting for results I think it’s the perfect time to bust out this classic 8CA thinker:
Not that many years ago, every team in the Chicago area (and across the state) had a very different format and approach to qualifying for state: at some point in the season, they hit a certain qualifying score. Top 6 and placement meant nothing…other team’s performances and scores meant nothing…the only thing that mattered was YOUR performance, at some point during the season. That was during the IDTA and TDI days, before IHSA. Thankfully, that approach is still available to teams if they compete in IDTA right now (along with categories and a normal state comp floor).
8:06pm: Wow, this conference!
Watching everyone jam to a very underrated Minaj song…I’m thinking, “On this floor are several state-worthy teams!” Amazing studio-grown talent on all these teams. Granted, maybe the conference as a whole isn’t quite as glittering as, say, 7 years ago, but it’s formidable and will likely be repped on Friday and probably Saturday in Bloomington.
8:14pm: Results
JV Champions Jacobs (71.57), JV 2nd Burlington Central (70.73), JV 3rd Crystal Lake Central (70.43).
Varsity Champions Jacobs (88.13), Varsity 2nd Crystal Lake Central (85.47), JV 3rd Burlington Central (85.23).
8:17pm: That’s a wrap!
Special congrats to Jacobs coaches Alli Heckman and Lexi Madson on their varsity and JV conference titles! I’ve known the pair since they danced on Crystal Lake Central years ago, and it’s wonderful to see them wrap up their coaching careers with a double conference championship! Smart, nice, creative, and funny kids (well to me they’re always gonna be CLC kids, haha!) who have worked so hard to revitalize the Jacobs dance program. Congrats and love from a big fan!