Mimicking felines, more than a dozen Golden High School dancers crept along the cafeteria floor. They bounced up as the music accelerated. They leapt across the concrete surface in jazz shoes or half-socks and made simultaneous fouette turns.
“Everybody has to be the same on everything, down to their fingers,” said Katie Adams, one of the team’s three coaches. “So the detail on these dances is amazing.”
Members of the Golden High School dance team were practicing their “cat” routine that won them third place at the state competition in 2006 — the team’s highest place to date. They will perform the dance in March at nationals in Orlando, where the team placed 13th last year.
But the competition is not the only reason why the girls practice — although making it to finals at nationals is incentive enough.
The dancers perform at numerous events, including football, soccer and boys and girls basketball games.
After the team finished its sequence last week at their after-school practice, they gathered around the coach, breathing heavily.
“Your Russians need to be snapped,” said coach and former Golden High School dancer Brandy Wegscheider. She was referring to the girls’ straddle jumps. “Attack was better that time, but you need to feel it.”
The ‘attack’ is making sure every part — from head to toe — is sharp and finished thoroughly, explained another coach, Kathy Hall.
“If you don’t pull it from somewhere now, you’re not going to be able to pull it from somewhere in for Florida,” said teammate Danielle Crevling, 17, who has been dancing since age 3.
Because the girls don’t have a dance room with mirrors, they use themselves as critics.
Observing their teammates helps create a bond while establishing trust, Adams said.
“When they’re not in front of the mirrors, they cue off of each other, which is better,” she said.
The concrete floor isn’t ideal, but the team of 17 never complains, Hall said.
“They come, they work — they’re focused,” she said. “You wouldn’t believe the bruising. Some of them have permanent red bruises under their knees.”
During practices, games and competitions, the girls also implement a “name game.” They yell out words of encouragement to a specific team member. That person has to shout out another’s name.
“I think it helps because it keeps us motivated,” Crevling said.
“When you say their name, it’s like a confidence boost,” added Lauren Hall, 18.
Jodi Kinnen, 15, enjoys dancing before a crowd.
“I like the adrenaline rush,” she said. If they mess up, they don’t let it show.
“We have faces,” Kinnen said.
There’s fierce. And then there are the ear-to-ear grins many demonstrate as they spot and count turns aloud.
“It’s a lot of mentality,” Crevling said.
Endurance is essential. Crevling compared each dance to a two-minute sprint.
Although the team’s focus is jazz, they perform crowd pleasers such as hip-hop routines during halftime shows.
Jackee Jensen, 16, enjoys entertaining the audience.
“I like people’s smiles,” she said. “The real show starts at halftime.”
To remain eligible, the girls must maintain a 2.5 GPA. Despite practices or games every night after school, the team averages a 3.8 GPA.
“One of the things they have to learn is how to budget their time,” Adams said. “These girls are so talented, and they’re so smart — they’re amazing.”
TRYOUTS
Golden High School dance team tryouts are April 20. Students interested in trying out for the team should have at least two years of dance experience. A tryout clinic runs from April 16 to 19, and it also open to seventh-graders to give them an idea of what to work on for the following year.
An informational meeting is slated for March 20 at Golden High School. For more information, call the school office at 303-982-4200.