You Know They’re ‘All about that Bass’
Loud music bounces off the walls of the gym while 5 pairs of feet move in sync to the rhythm of the music. Girls spin, run, and jump across the floor practicing their talent, so that they may perform as the Maywood Dance Team, at football and basketball games. The girls get to the school around 7 a.m. twice a week and practice for 45 minutes to an hour, unless they meet on a Saturday then they practice for at least 2 hours. The girls practice hard so they can be ready for State Dance in February. Seniors Brooke Moore and Darbe Dodson gave some encouraging words: “Things are going well; the girls are improving and working hard. We are always trying to incorporate new dance moves into our routine.” Brooke Moore also said, “Dance is going great. We are always having fun and working hard on new dances.”
Call it a dance team, a drill team, a pom squad, or dance squad; it is all about the field event that keeps you in your seat during the halftime show. As a sport, team dance incorporates many of the same elements as cheerleading-tumbling, spinning, leaping, and sometimes pom-poms and even cheers. And like cheer, dance teams most often perform at sporting events, such as football and basketball, and often compete for awards. There are all levels of team dance; youth, college, all-star, and professional. Different than cheer, team dance routines use specific synchronized dance styles, such as jazz, hip-hop, leaps, turns, and kicks, all of which involve precision.
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