You’ve definitely seen dance team members around the hall. With their snazzy jackets and confident attitude, they’re hard to miss. Dance team, led by two captains, Lily Evans and Kate Murphy, and two lieutenants, Anna Manley and Kendra Mitchell, has become a favorite at assemblies and sports games and they never fail to entertain. The team also travels around the region to compete in dance competitions. Their speed and unique choreography sets them apart from other dance teams and they have placed phenomenally well at these competitions. At their first competition in Edmonds, dance team came away with a first place trophy and at their most recent competition in Redmond, they got 4th place.
Mary Kibala, a junior, is a first year member and is having a lot of fun. She says, “It’s eye-opening to see how much work dance team puts in.” The team practices almost every day after school for three to three and a half hours. Kibala says that the time commitment to the team is the hardest part. Although dance team is a lot of work, Kibala’s favorite part is “when all seriousness is done at practice and we’re just goofing off together… It’s a family.” She hopes to do well at their next competition.
Junior Kendra Mitchell is one of dance team’s lieutenants. She has been on the team since the end of freshman year and has loved every second of it. For her, the hardest part about being a member is also the time commitment. The push-back of school start times has really affected Mitchell and she finds it “hard to balance school and dance” but that “it’s all worth it in the end.” Mitchell described the dance team members as her sisters. “I love and respect everyone on the team.” According to Mitchell, what sets Roosevelt’s dance team apart from other dance teams is their unique choreography and synchronicity. Their choreographer, Daniel Cruz, likes to focus more on modern hip hop and according to Mitchell, is amazing. So the next time you see them at a basketball game or assembly cheer loud and be proud of Roosevelt’s amazing dance squad. Dance team’s next competition is in Kentwood on February 4th.
