Combining Grace and Athleticism

In most sports, you have an entire game to leave it all out on the field or court. The Pennridge Dance Team gets just two and a half minutes of performance to show their worth to the school. In those two and a half minutes, the team members represent Pennridge well with an impressive display of technique, choreography, flexibility, leaps, kicks, and turns. Coached by Danielle Dickinson, dancers from grades 9 through 12 perform at halftime at varsity basketball games and other events throughout the community and school. Though it is widely debated whether dance is a sport or not, there is no doubt that dance requires a tremendous amount of athleticism.

Dance can teach many valuable skills such as discipline, teamwork, grace, and poise. Hadley Polson, a junior and a captain on the dance team, feels that the dance team has instilled a great work ethic in the dancers. “Dance team taught me work ethic and drive because even though you dance with a group, that group depends on every single girl giving it their all and being their very best,” Polson says. These girls come from all different dance backgrounds, experiences, and studios, so it is crucial that they work as a unified team. They serve not only as entertainment at the basketball games but also as spirit leaders supporting Pennridge alongside the cheerleaders. Cate Didenko, another junior who is also a captain on the team, enjoys the tight-knit environment on the team. “For being such a big team, we are a really tight-knit group. We are always cheering each other on and supporting one another,” Didenko says.

Many high school dance teams incorporate pop songs and hip-hop choreography to appeal to the student body. The girls on the team love doing hip-hop, as it is high-energy, fresh, and modern. “The energy is so high at the basketball games, and it feels like our dance makes them go even harder because of that energy. That’s why hip hop is so fun; it’s all about the energy,” Polson says. Past dance team numbers, which are mainly choreographed by Dickinson, have featured music from Cardi B, Mariah Carey, and Megan thee Stallion. These dances are designed to display the team’s strengths with intricate choreography, formations, and tricks.

The dance team is much more than just halftime entertainment; though you may only see just a snapshot of their skills, there are hours of after-school and weekend practices to clean those routines to perfection. The dance team goes through conditioning and other exercises designed to improve stamina and strength, just like the other sports teams here at Pennridge. With the perfect mix of artistry and athleticism, dancers on the Pennridge High School Dance Team have become an integral part of the school sports environment.

Sources:
https://pennridgerams.org/main/teamschedule/id/3702244/seasonId/4645416

https://sites.psu.edu/siowfa15/2015/09/17/is-dance-a-sport/

https://www.britannica.com/art/dance/Components-of-the-dance

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/congress-on-research-in-dance/article/abs/dance-competition-culture-and-capitalism/47FCD74947469E72DEBA89413D7968DF

https://www.varsity.com/news/dance-team-high-school-dance-team/