The West High Dance Team has overcome many challenges within the last year. Despite all of the barriers and curveballs thrown at them, they always seem to find a way to push through it all to continue to make a name for themselves not only at school but in the community as well. On the weekend of December 7 and 8 the West High Dance Team competed in the Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Association (ISDDTA) State Championship. West High competed in the categories of Jazz and Hip Hop. They placed ninth in jazz and seventh in the category of hip-hop and earned Division One ratings in both categories.
The West High Dance Team gives many students who have been dancing for years a chance to share their love of dance with others their age and display their talent to the student body at many sporting events and school gatherings. Sophomore Kennedy Dunn uses dance as a way to show her creativity. Dunn dances to show her true self and release any negativity that she accumulated throughout the day.
There are so many lessons to be learned from our day-to-day activities. Senior Allison Kaliban says this best. Kaliban has been dancing all her life and dance is very near and dear to her heart. Kaliban shares that “dance team has taught me to be kind to everyone around me. You never know who is watching or what influence they will have. Just simply being kind could open up opportunities you could’ve only dreamed of.”
The West High Dance team was smaller this year, but since West High is still a large school they had to learn how to make their performances even more impressive so that they could compete against the larger schools. Senior Allison Kaliban has experienced both eras of the dance team and notes the struggles of being on both sides of the spectrum.
The West High Dance Team is known throughout the state. Dunn tells us how this year’s preparation for State was an experience that changed her. Their muscles after every practice, their brains are always tired and they continue to push through together, as a team. There is so much more in store for the future of the West High Dance Team.
