The varsity dance team qualified for state for the first time in school history this month.
According to the team, the Cougarettes put on a challenging and exciting dance routine to impress the judges at conferences and sectionals.
Shannon Hartge said the team has participated in competitions and have been doing really well and placing decently.
“What I expect from this season is for us to grow as a group and for ourselves to grow and improve on our technique,” sophomore Katie McLaughlin said.
The team says they have grown a lot since last season especially since the routines are a lot more intense than last year.
“We have improved so much as a program,” Hartge said.
The routines this year combine technical difficulty with visual artistry to help create the dark jazz pieces, according to Coach Natalie Fisher.
“Dancers must remember the choreography, execute the proper technique, and watch their spacing on the floor, all while staying in character and making it look effortless,” Coach Fisher said.
The team conditions at each practice in order to keep their stamina up to get through demanding choreography, according to Fisher.
Chloe Hillery, the captain of the varsity team, said they have to constantly work on stamina and cardio during practice to ensure that they have the energy to execute their demanding routines.
“The routines are definitely challenging- as dancers, we have to have strong athleticism and endurance. One of the most difficult aspects of competitive dance is adapting to changes; after every competition we take the judges comments and make changes to the dance to help improve our score in the next performance,” Captain Marie Lockowitz said.
Last year the team had happy upbeat dances whereas this year they have dark intense dances that differ from other teams they’ve competed against so far, according to Captain Chloe Hillery.
“Another difficulty that has come with our routines this year has been matching the intensity of our music to our faces, but with endless amounts of practice I think that we’ve finally mastered them perfectly,” Hillery said.
The girls all have different experiences between dancing competitively and recreationally. These girls are dedicated and love to dance. They proved they don’t quit, even when it gets difficult.
Although this year brought new challenges to Plainfield South’s Varsity Dance team, they were determined to make it to state. This just proves with hard work and dedication they can do anything they put their minds to.