The dance team has emerged from the gauntlet of the IHSA state series with multiple laurels, procuring an advancement to the final round. Their success—one of many so far—has earned them a spot in one of the most prestigious competitions. This weekend the dance team is taking a trip to fame, a trip to achievement, a trip to glory. This weekend, the dance team is taking a trip to the High School National Dance Team Championship.
Coach Maggie Haskins has been the harbinger for this inevitable success during her tenure as head coach for the past four years. A combination of her expertise, partially owed to her collegiate experience of Division 3 competitive dance, and her passion for dance has led the team to multiple state and national qualifications.
The road to success has not been one without obstacles, however. Taking up the head coaching position in the forefront of the COVID-19 pandemic made training a state-qualifying team significantly more difficult than it already was.
“A majority of the seniors this year started when I did…together in the pandemic,” said Coach Haskins. “However, we normalized high expectations and pushed through.”
A major contribution to the team’s success besides their perseverance through tribulations was the creative choreography work installed in each performance. This choreography draws inspiration from summer camp adaptations, advice from Hailey Hellgeth ’21, a junior captain at Grand Valley State University, and original works created by Coach Haskins.
It is the student leadership that drives home the practice and competition philosophy Coach Haskins has used to create the success amongst the program. Two captainship groups, one based on “game days,” that is, performances at football games, basketball games, etc, and another based on competitions, lead the team throughout choreography movements and practices.
“[Our] mindset has paid off this season,” said senior Molly Boyle, a competition captain. “We have scored high enough to qualify for three postseason competitions—IHSA State, UDA Nationals, and IDTA State—for the first time in Viator dance history.”
It hasn’t been easy to reach this level of greatness, but the dance team has embraced the sacrifice and process needed to reach the level they have.
“We usually get to school [for competitions] around 5:30 AM,” said senior captain Ella Rowe. “This means we wake up at, like, 3:00 AM. However, repetition is the key to competition preparation. There is only so much you can control…so [you] always [have] to put forth your best effort so that you have no regrets.”
The team definitely has no regrets so far with the success of their season. From the beginning, high expectations were set, and—as these expectations were met—the dance team has continued to grow as it enters a golden age of competition success.
“The team as a whole set the bar high,” said Coach Haskins. “We will continue to carry on our traditions while [we] always look forward to greater growth.”