As the dance team embarks on the 2023-2024 dance season, the dancers are eager to hit the stage with unseen choreography, new first year members and thrilling new music.
The dance team is growing consistently, senior Zoe Thompson welcomes returning students and new members for the 2023-2024 season.
“I love the new girls on the team! They are hard workers and incredible performers,” Thompson said.
Dancers had four hour practices during summer break to prepare ahead of time for the upcoming year. The dance team continues to run their dances on repeat to ensure no choreography is forgotten during performances.
2023-2024 dance captain Neala Blank echoes Thompson’s excitement for the new year.
“It’s going to be fun this year. I’m really excited for the new year, there’s so many new people joining,” Blank said. “Being team captain is fun, I’ve been working toward team captain for a few years so it’s really rewarding.”
Many students joining the dance team are new to the long training hours.
“Honestly, it wasn’t too bad,” senior Kaela Chou said. “It’s a very welcoming team, and for my last year, I wanted to make sure I’m happiest.”
Music choice is crucial to audience engagement. The roars of the crowd enhance player performance during football games, and gets the students pumped during school rallies. As new songs trend and become popular with high school students, the dance team is constantly scouting out crowd favorites.
“Usually it’s like the captains or like the coaches but sometimes we can pick out the music,” sophomore Jaci Chung said “We don’t really do rap, but sometimes we do, and then we usually do pop.”
The dance team strives to get everyone involved as much as possible. Beginning with the 2023 Oak Park Showdown, the team’s choreography and teamwork shines through as they take on the task of teaching OPHS sports teams a routine.
“As a fundraiser, the Showdown is a great way to raise money for both dance and cheer,” Flynn said. “The event is also fun to watch and it allows teams to get to know each other.”
