Slideshow 5 extra notes
slide 1: Lake Forest
These dancers are popular in the IL Dance Community and they routinely back it up when they hit the comp floor. This pic has them celebrating a good day at the Glenbrook South comp on December 9th.
slide 2: Joliet West
Saturday September 15th was uncomfortably hot but these athletes powered through on the sidelines at their home game. New coach Jennifer Cryder quickly forged a good relationship with her team and it showed! The halftime dance was a very entertaining father-daughter routine. If I remember right, the towel dance was one of the moves ably performed by the team dads.
slide 3: Waubonsie Valley
The WV program has thrived under Coach Daugherty for the past 6 seasons. Their first-ever team hall of fame event on January 6th looked back on all the teams and routines during her tenure, and one of the dances was the first routine to get into the program’s HOF. The current Waubonsie dancers performed this year’s comp routines for their families and alums. I wasn’t sure what to wear so I went with a blazer, which was why I looked oddly overdressed when I got to the Huntley comp a couple hours later!
slide 4: Naperville Central
Back at UDA camp at NIU on July 26th, the NC dancers shined with a home routine that showed off the team’s considerable skills. This was one of the first outings for the team under new coach (and former assistant) Kirsten Groset.
slide 5: Freeport
This gem of a program is the epicenter of dance in northwest Illinois. They go through some seriously long bus rides to get to and from comps, but at least the DeKalb comp on 12/14 was kinda sorta close-ish to home.
slide 6: Taft
Chicago teams are starting to really assert themselves on the competitive dance scene, and Taft has been one of those programs increasingly in the spotlight. This pic shows the dancers from the NW side of the city slaying their pom routine at the Fremd comp on November 17th.
slide 7: Lincoln-Way Central
I pretty much fell in love with these sweatshirts as soon as I saw them at their 10/5 home game. The weather forecast moved the game up by an hour but we got their in time to watch pregame and sidelines. I thought the team and their coaches already showed lots of confidence that would propel them through the Rhythm Knights’ best season in several years.
slide 8: Willowbrook
There were a few seasons in the late 2000s and early 2010s when Willowbrook was a huge threat for pom and open pom trophies in TDI (Team Dance Illinois). Since then they’ve usually been sneaky good, just like they were at the December 1st Batavia comp, shown here. Put them on the list of underrated dance programs!
slide 9: O’Fallon
One of the sure things in Illinois dance is that O’Fallon will bring a strong lyrical to the competition floor. Here they are looking sharp in the lyrical/contemporary category at the IDTA/IHSA comp on December 15th at Belleville East.
slide 10: Schaumburg
The Sizzlers DT quietly stepped up their intensity this season with this powerful dance. This shot is from the Waubonsie Valley comp (and that school’s unique floor logo) back on December 8th.
slide 11: East Aurora
Hands down, this dance program’s been one of my faves to watch over the past few years. I’m a big fan of growth and the things these East dancers have done on the comp floor–compared to, say, 7 years ago–is so impressive. Here’s a moment from their hip hop routine back at the 11/11 Wheaton North competition.
slide 12: St. Francis
If you’re a fan of a team in the Metro Suburban Conference, get ready to put miles on your car. The teams held their conference comp on January 12th at Ridgewood. The talented ladies of St. Francis danced to a 2nd place finish, just behind Fenton.
slide 13: West Chicago
Columbus Day was weirdly warm and summery, so I was thankful to hang out in the nicely air conditioned gym at Wego. I loved the sense of family with this team and their coaches!
slide 14: Glenbard East
You know that annoying kind of drizzle that blows around and feels like someone’s spitting on you? That was the weather in Lombard on 8/24 (heavier storms hit other areas). The bright spot? Getting to know a Glenbard East team that would soon catch a lot of attention during comp season.
slide 15: Waukegan
These dancers always get the crowd going with their entertaining routines, just like they did at the DeKalb comp on 12/14. Love the pants!