The Chevals dance team puts in months of hard work and dedication, perfecting and fixing their dances for the biggest competition of the season. With sections right around the corner, the chevals spend hours of extra time practicing everyday after school to hopefully do their very best at sections. At each practice, the goal is to make the dance more challenging so the team receives more points.
One of the best ways to have a successful team is to set clear and reachable goals for each practice and competition. The goals can be small but also be impactful to the team, such as having straighter legs or having stronger facials.
Setting team goals for competitions and practices can help increase the overall team placements. Senior Hollie Koller said the most common goal the team had for this year’s section competition was to beat other teams as well as “to improve our scores from last year”.
“My personal goal is, I want it to be my best time ever performing it with the biggest facials and most energy. For the team, I want to not get last place and beat teams that we have not beaten before,” sophomore Jayda Peatross said.
Alongside making goals for the team, Peatross also explained how it is important that the team continues to run one mile everyday before practice to keep up endurance and energy while dancing. During sections week, the team will run everyday to keep endurance in play as well as their practices getting extended in hopes to change their entire varsity jazz routine.
With the Chevals getting all new coaches this season, the returning members have tried their best to help work alongside the coaches to make a successful season. Co-head coaches Kati Cheney and Heather Lander-Perkins and assistant coach, Lynsey Davis stepped up this season in hopes to make a more successful team. The coach’s main goal for the season was to see improvement in the dancers and in the scores at competitions.
“My favorite part about coaching is spending time with the students and watching them learn new things and be proud of their accomplishments,” Perkins said.
Sections is normally a bigger competitions for all of the schools because it determines who goes to state. This year Centennial, Two Rivers and Blaine went on to state. In the past, the Chevals have never made it to state, but that is a goal for further seasons.
“Sections qualifies the top three teams to go compete at state, so there are a lot more teams and a much more competitive environment than normal,” senior captain Hollie Koller said.
Though sections are a hard fought battle between 12 different schools in the same category as the Chevals, the endless memories is what the team cares about the most. Being on any varsity team in high school is an essential key to having long time best friends. The Chevals is a smaller team which allows for more time spent with the same group of students.
“The Chevals have an insanely inviting, supportive, and comforting spirit that you can feel from just one day on the team. Each practice is an escape from whatever the stresses of high school can bring, and students can meet their best friends because of the team,” Koller added.
Although the Chevals did not advance to state, they have worked hard all season. The overall kick score for the competition was 395 points and jazz got an overall score of 430 points, which means the team increased their scores by 50 points from last year’s competition. The team also got all new coaches for the previous season. The Chevals have seen improvement within their scores and their team as a whole. The team continues to improve each competition. The Chevals may have not placed the best at their competitions this season, but the scores have continued to move up.
