UPDATES
FRIDAY 11/8/19:
With the weather about 4,000 degrees (Fahrenheit) below normal, it’s not that hard to believe that a competition season is really here. Things kick off this Sunday at Wheaton-Warrenville South’s IHSA contest. It’s a small but mighty schedule with big-name teams alongside of up and coming talent, and I pretty much can’t wait to see these dancers take the floor! A lot of this month’s action is tilted toward the weekend of the 16th, but don’t forget that the first IHSA-scored routines will start earning points at Wheaton South in just a couple days. Plus you’ll probably get out in time to catch a shaky Bears team take on a sort-of-shaky Lions team.
THE LOWDOWN
LOCATION:
Wheaton-Warrenville South HS. 1993 Tiger Trail, Wheaton, IL 60189
TIME:
Sunday, November 10. Starts at 9, awards scheduled for 11:55
TEAM DIVISIONS:
3A, 2A, 1A, and JV
FAN TIPS:
Northwest corner of Butterfield and Wiesbrook in southwest Wheaton. Easy parking; use main entrance. Comfy for the spectators with roomy, modern bleachers. Large concession area just outside of the gym for hanging out. Bonus: comfy armchairs lurking around the corner from the food area!
FLASHBACKS
2017 comp at WWS
2017 comp at WWS
2017 comp at WWS
HIGHLIGHTS
It felt like Wauconda came to set the pace for all of 2A, not just at this comp but everywhere. I saw these ladies work hard at an early morning practice over the summer and that effort is already paying off. Wauconda had a solid foothold on top of the 2A mountain (alongside other strong teams, all looking up at Geneva) and had most of the spotlight until Antioch’s breakout seasons in ’17-’18 and ’18-’19. No one dances very cleanly in November, but as I watched Wauconda on Sunday I still had the feeling that they’re laser-focused on once again leading 2A in the northern suburbs. Fan support is definitely robust!
East Aurora takes a long step forward every season, and their first routine proved that this season is no different. The program stepped beyond its hip hop box several years back and added lyrical, gradually building up to the point where you can’t deny that these are hard-working artists. I think Sunday was the first time I ever thought that their lyrical routine was better than their hip hop!
They host one of the last invitationals of IHSA season, but Grayslake Central came to Wheaton in mid-November for some early feedback. G-Central is clearly stepping up their game with this dance. Like any other weekend, 2A is tougher than overcooked chicken, so even though they didn’t take home a trophy, these dancers look to be on track to have a high-growth season. And you can never go wrong with that color!
Hard to believe, but teams had the chance to clutch hardware at a points-paying event before Veteran’s Day. The season’s really here!
One of the questions I got via text as I waited in a long drive-thru line after Sunday’s comp was, “Where’s Benet?” No worries if you don’t know, since they haven’t competed that often up to this point. The Catholic school in Lisle (by many accounts the most prestigious Catholic high school outside of Chicago) has had a dance program for ages. 2019 finds the Avions Dance Team (the school goes by the Redwings) in 2A where they’ll fit in very well with this capable routine. Add this to your mental picture of Benet Academy’s dance team: Lisle is nestled between Naperville, Wheaton, Glen Ellyn, and Downers Grove…the heart of (630) that’s surged forward in IHSA dance over the past few seasons.
You can usually count on seeing Stevenson’s freshmen team competing early in the season. The bonus is that the powerhouse program’s non-varsity teams can be seen trying un-Stevenson things like hip hop and pom…and it usually turns out quite well. Their uniformed pom routine was big and filled the floor!
They crept, and crept, and crept last year, sneaking up on everyone until they captured a sectional 3A title. St. Charles East again looks ready to be part of an ongoing power realignment in 3A. Their dances remind me that it can’t just be about a rubric and a skills checklist. STCE hooks the crowd with drama and stage presence. Hard to believe these are the same athletes who stumbled through a set of basketball games at their home camp over the summer (check our insta from 8/3 for the “highlights”).
Chairs are not just for sitting.
3A SCORES
| Placement | Team+routine | Unofficial category | Score |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | St. Charles East 2 | 86.10 | |
| 2nd | St. Charles East 1 | 80.80 | |
| 3rd | Wheaton-Warrenville South | 74.87 | |
| 4th | Glenbard East | 70.57 | |
| 5th | East Aurora 2 | 69.53 | |
| 6th | East Aurora 1 | 66.83 |
NOTES:
Glenbard East was scheduled to run 2 dances but only performed the 2nd one. The official scoresheet has their first routine scored as 0.
ILLINOIS DANCERS
Up Next: IDTA comp season launches at GSW
12.04.19
Some prominent IHSA teams join in on the fun at Gardner-South Wilmington [more]
Up Next: a crazy talented split schedule at Minooka
12.04.19
Who needs an IHSA state crystal ball to look into the future when you can just come to the Minooka comp? [more]
Up Next: modern dance, vintage gym, great hosts at Batavia
12.04.19
Chi-area teams from the central and far west suburbs meet up [more]
Up Next: the 2A champs host a huge showdown
12.04.19
Big name teams battle for 2A prestige at Lake Zurich [more]
Up Next: 2A in the morning, 3A and 1A in the pm
11.28.19
Props to these teams for dancing at the end of Thanksgiving weekend [more]
Up Next: an afternoon-only sesh at Deerfield
11.20.19
After your morning at Libertyville, head 11 miles south for part 2 at Deerfield! [more]
Up Next: a morning-only sesh at Libertyville
11.20.19
Preview and fan tips from the host team! [more]
DANCERS EVERYWHERE
(coming soon)
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