A loud noise erupts from students in the crowd as they watch the dance team perform their flawless routine. Many days, weeks, and months have gone into this performance, and the hard work is paying off with the excited cheers and screams from the crowd. The way their feet pound against the stands repeatedly and their screams of joy in support is what makes the hard work all worth it. 

After the performance is over, the dance team is ready to be recognized after the pleasing reaction from the audience, but then watches as the student section empties the bleachers, moving past the team. With the lack of appreciation from the audience, it feels as if the previous screams and the shouts were a routine of their own. 

This is an experience the members of the dance team go through regularly, despite all of the talent that each individual member has. Sophomore Keeli Desir, a member of the dance team, has been a part of the dance team here for two years, dancing all together for 13 years. Desir, noticing the recognition being swept away from the team, feels that their team deserves much more attention.

“Our team is putting in so much,” Desir said, “ It would be nice if more people could recognize us like ‘Oh wow, the dance team won again’.”

In each performance, the dance team’s bond with one another is like dancing on air with how fluid and in sync they are. Junior Heidi Strauss has been involved with dancing for 13 years, sharing that similarity with Desir. Strauss found herself meeting her closest friends within the team, which positively impacts their performance.

“We know each other so well, so if we see one of our team members struggling, then we can help them,” Strauss said, “If something’s wrong in the environment or with each other, we’ll know what to do about it [to improve our performance].”  

With the ups and downs of the dance team, going from not being acknowledged for their talents, to bonding with one another and lifting each other up, there is a neutral ground. Senior Sydney Anderson has been on the dance team for all 4 years of her high school career, allowing her to have become closer with her teammates. However, she also recognizes that their team should be more out there because of how talented they are. With Anderson, it grows to be tiring to constantly practice, but it also gives the team advantages in the long run. 

“It’s hard to practice a lot, but it definitely does pay off,” Anderson said, “We had our first competition about a month ago, and we got 1st place for our dance, and that shows how much our work has paid off.”