Team Feature: Mundelein Dance Team
by Kaitlyn Winters, 8CA Staff Writer
The Mundelein Mustangs 2015-2016 dance team is a skilled and humble group of talented dancers. They compete in the 3A division of IHSA dance and are a part of the North Suburban Conference. Varsity is made up of thirteen hardworking dancers who train throughout the area at studios including Trilogy Dance Studio in Lake Zurich, Dancenter North in Libertyville, and Aspire Dance Company.
The head coach of the varsity dance team, Melissa Schaefer, has been coaching at Mundelein for eight years. She came to the school after dancing both in high school and at Loyola University in Chicago. This experience helps her lead the team year round at practices, which typically consist of conditioning, stretching, working skills, and cleaning routines. Some skills the team really focuses on starting at tryouts are fouette turns, triples, and other special skills the girls can do that could be used for competition. Following tryouts, the team continues to improve not only in practice, but by doing things such as attending UDA camp over the summer, and performing self-choreographed routines at football games.
Mundelein cleaning at practice
All of the work the team does through the summer and fall prepares them for the winter season to begin. They are known for competing very unique contemporary jazz routines, thanks to their amazing choreographer, Eugene Peabody. He works very closely with the team every year to make his always fresh and intriguing choreography come to life. The visuals produced in the movement choreographed by Eugene consistently makes the team’s routines stand out in a dance world where routines often all look the same. He even works personally with the coaches and parents to design and give the girls hand made costumes that complete the vision of the dance.
One thing the team would say they greatly value is the ability to always be artistically growing and different from other teams around them. The Mundelein dance team definitely proves this and every year the artistry behind their routines and their original costumes grows with the changing dance world around them. Even though they may not always feel that they have as many tricks or as crazy technical aspects as some competitors in their performances, they have a passion and individuality that make them shine as a team. Whenever they put a routine out on the competition floor, they consistently touch people with the meaning and heart behind their dances, something that has led them to success for many years.
Besides hip hop, Mundelein’s got the modern dance thing down
Fun Facts:
School Info:
Their mascot is a Mustang and their colors are scarlet and white.
Teams they admire:
Since they enjoy doing hip hop, they really admire the teams from Warren and Lake Zurich for their impressive skills in that style.
Team Composition:
The team is made up of two sophomores, four juniors, and seven seniors. Three of these girls are new to Varsity this year.
Special Skills/ Trademarks:
They are known for unique concepts and choreography in their contemporary routines.
Captains:
The team has two junior captains and two senior captains. Once their seniors graduate, the junior captains become the senior captains for the next season. These girls are very important leaders on the team, and they even call one of the junior captains “mom” since she is always prepared to help her teammates with anything!