Ready for slate of late season dances on a snowy Saturday? 51 routines await you at the South Elgin comp on Saturday. In the past the Stormettes have hosted evening comps, often in December, so this is a new experience in a comfy setting.
While some comps warm up the gym with JV teams, an assortment of the biggest names in 3A and 2A will hit the floor right away at South Elgin. Ten different teams before the 1st officials break have already earned placements at conference competitions! Riding tall in the saddle are newly crowned conference champs Naperville North, Lake Park, South Elgin, and Barrington. Fighting hard are a well-prepared and wonderfully sturdy Waubonsie Valley team. Elgin and Glenbard East have had some nice moments on the comp floor and they’ll be looking to pick up momentum heading into sectionals.
But we’ve got to talk about those intriguing dance teams who’ve worked hard and put themselves in a great position late in the IHSA season. Bartlett might not have gotten all they wanted last weekend, but they battled South Elgin to a 2nd place conference finish on Wednesday night. Glenbard North had it all going right last night at the DVC comp where they earned a 3rd. Conant’s stock shot up with a glittering performance at the MSL comp, good for a 2nd place finish. Downers Grove South was pretty good last weekend, though they can definitely rely on a good resume from the entire season to fuel a better run at South Elgin. And West Chicago–quietly working hard in the woodshed–might have a little spark from their JV’s surprise 3rd place conference finish. Fremd earned a 3rd at conference after winning it last year; their Wednesday night performance was excellent, however.
I wouldn’t want to face Geneva at the moment. They’re so amazing that a 2nd place finish tastes like good pizza: it’s still yummy pizza, but it’s only “good,” and you darn well know what great pizza is like. So after their 2nds at Palatine and then conference, they’ll be in fierce mode on Saturday. Look for a Batavia or a Montini to fight hard for spots in the top 3. Hampshire, DeKalb, and Streamwood all have quality dances that can make a run at sectionals, and here’s their last chance at judge feedback before next weekend. Guilford, out of the Rockford area, gets another valuable comp experience at South Elgin, coming a week after their Huntley appearance.
The afternoon 3A batch probably has all of the sectional routines for those teams who have 2 dances. Joining them are teams going through ups and downs. Jacobs had a shaky outing at Huntley but the team is skilled and have great choreography going for them. Larkin’s in a modest rebuild but ran a solid score at Palatine. And speaking of…Palatine may not have lit up the scoresheet at their home comp, but they looked good doing it (and at conference)!
A team I’m really looking forward to seeing is Plainfield South, who are having a great winter and standing tall after taking 2nd in the SPC Thursday night. Warren dances tonight for their conference title and earned a 1st in 3A hip hop last Saturday at Palatine. Schaumburg and Prospect had to battle through a stacked MSL field at their conference comp and will no doubt bring some fire to their Saturday performances. We gotta shout it out to West Aurora–a low-key season, but they’re no doubt working tirelessly on their crossover into the hip hop genre. Niles North’s lyrical work looks great so far this winter. And last on the schedule is dangerous York…mid-pack at Huntley, but completely capable of fighting for a top 5 at SEHS.
South Elgin HS. 760 E. Main St., South Elgin, IL 60177
Saturday, January 18. As of Friday afternoon, the schedule’s been moved back. First dance starts at noon, and the last routine presumably now will run at 6:06
2A, 2A JV, 3A, 3A JV
SEHS is a fascinating location. Come from the east and it feels like you’re driving through what the area looked like 150 years ago–open spaces, lonely farmsteads, country roads. Come from the west and you’ll have either seen suburbia or an urban setting. No special parking advice this time…the whole property along Main Street is a giant lot! Once inside you’ll pass through the large commons area on the way to the gym, which, if I remember right, is a little bit of a maze to get to. No promises but I have fond memories of a vendor who sold hot, freshly-made donuts back when this was a Wednesday night comp. In any case, Coach Shields is one of the nicest people in the dance world and I’m sure this transfers onto her volunteers. And I’ll bet you’re going to gawk at the mural on the west wall of the gym…
Placement | Team+routine | Unofficial category | Score |
---|---|---|---|
1st | Lake Park 2 | 97.47 | |
2nd | South Elgin | 94.43 | |
3rd | Lake Park 1 | 93.47 | |
4th | Naperville North 2 | 90.47 | |
5th | Barrington 1 | 89.70 | |
6th | Glenbard North 2 | 89.23 | |
7th | Barrington 2 | 88.87 | |
8th | Bartlett 2 | 88.27 | |
9th | Downers Grove South 2 | 87.77 | |
10th | York | 87.43 | |
11th | Warren | 86.35 | |
12th | Waubonsie Valley 1 | 84.07 | |
13th | Schaumburg | 83.87 | |
14th | Conant | 82.47 | |
15th | Waubonsie Valley 2 | 81.43 | |
16th | Prospect | 80.50 | |
17th | Jacobs | 79.53 | |
18th | Fremd 1 | 79.45 | |
19th | Naperville North 1 | 79.40 | |
20th | West Chicago 2 | 78.90 | |
21st | Glenbard North 1 | 78.63 | |
22nd | Glenbard East 2 | 78.43 | |
23rd | Downers Grove South 1 | 74.97 | |
24th | West Chicago 1 | 74.65 | |
25th | Fremd 2 | 74.63 | |
26th | Elgin | 73.83 | |
27th | Larkin | 73.57 | |
28th | West Aurora | 71.80 | |
29th | Niles North 1 | 71.27 | |
30th | Glenbard East 1 | 71.20 | |
31st | Palatine | 66.40 |
Polished, January-level dances face the two rubrics at a huge southwestern IL comp [more]
Another 2-rubric Saturday for top-tier teams from around the middle of the state [more]
Snow kidding, this comp is a key to a lot of teams heading into sectionals [more]
No scrubs at all in the longest day of dance this season [more]
One of 1A’s most prestigious programs hosts a fiery selection of teams from around the state [more]
North and NW suburban teams…plus a huge name from the western ‘burbs…are ready to heat things up on a wintry Saturday [more]
It’s almost an IHSA sectional preview–2 of them–at this weekend’s IDTA/IHSA clash at Charleston [more]
Those IHSA and IDTA rubrics are ready for ya, southern IL teams! [more]
What was once a shorter comp years ago now boasts a full day of state-worthy teams [more]
A couple 3A and a fun assortment of 1A and 2A teams converge on Argo’s unique gym [more]
Maine East’s beautiful, old building hosts Chicago area teams dancing under both rubrics [more]
Time for Central and East Central IL to shine at VG as winter break wraps up [more]
Big day at Belleville East is a major test for both IDTA and IHSA routines [more]
Mid-December tradition continues at SHS with elite lineup [more]
Tasty blend of IHSA Ā / IDTA-focused teams make up the field at Seneca [more]
IDTA / IHSA action heats up in the middle of the state [more]
Illinois’ southern and St. Louis area teams go at it at the Althoff IDTA comp [more]
Roll up your sleeves, 3A, ’cause it just got serious [more]
With sectional assignments posted, 1A and 2A teams start the match-up game at DeKalb [more]
The floor, the fieldhouse, and the school have tons of vintage character for an amazing group of teams at CLC [more]
Amazing gym, category awards, and one of IL’s most popular teams at the GBS comp [more]
GW vs LWC, new stuff from LP, and probable excellence from so many others at Naperville North [more]
Some prominent IHSA teams join in on the fun at Gardner-South Wilmington [more]
Who needs an IHSA state crystal ball to look into the future when you can just come to the Minooka comp? [more]
Chi-area teams from the central and far west suburbs meet up [more]
Big name teams battle for 2A prestige at Lake Zurich [more]
Props to these teams for dancing at the end of Thanksgiving weekend [more]
After your morning at Libertyville, head 11 miles south for part 2 at Deerfield! [more]
Preview and fan tips from the host team! [more]
Part 1 of our look at Iowa’s dance scene viewed from Illinois [more]
[instagram-feed]