In the past few weeks, Orono dancers were found in the gym hard at work on new choreography for their upcoming winter season.
The winter dance season is competitive, whereas the fall season, run through Community Education, isn’t.
“Fall dance season was much more relaxed,” junior Cassie Renckens said. “The winter dance season is a lot more difficult and includes tryouts unlike fall season.”
A major component of the winter season is choreography, which is scored by judges at competitions.
To create dances for this season, the team assembled choreography committees. There were three committees: varsity kick, varsity jazz and junior varsity jazz. The largest committee was the varsity kick committee with six girls involved. Both jazz committees had four dancers generating choreography. Captains along with seasoned dancers helped to choreograph the routines for this season.
“Our choreography committees are made up of creative dancers who have experience on the team,” senior captain Chloe Richey said.
The choreography committees met a few weeks preceding the start of the winter season in order to devise routines, transitions and formations. The majority of this season’s dances were taught on six hours Sat. practices called “clinics”.
Each dance in the competitive winter season has choreography requirements. High kick routines must include 50-75 kicks. In jazz, dancers need to execute at least one leap and turn. Along with required elements, high kick and jazz routines each have their own distinct style.
“For high kick, choreography is tight and precise. We need to have lots of stamina. In jazz, the choreography is strong and has lots of emotion behind it,” sophomore Katy Pearson said.
Another challenge the dance team faced when creating choreography was adding originality to their routines. Originality came from the committees’ own experience on and off the dance floor.
“From the time we are little kids, we are like carbon paper. Images, patterns, motions–all of it melds around in your head. By the time it works its way into a dance routine, it’s been mixed through a dozen different people’s minds and bodies,” head coach Allison Bridges said.
The dance team looked for new choreography inspiration in compelling places such as other competitions, studio recitals and the Internet.
“Each season, we watch YouTube videos for choreography ideas,” Renckens said.
As well as spending time looking for choreography inspiration, the dancers began to see each other at daily practices when winter season started.
“My favorite part of dance team is spending time with girls on the team and seeing the effort that we all put into the season,” freshman Quinn Crandall said.
The dancers have a crucial season ahead of them. Orono High School is hosting the 3AA Sections Meet on Feb. 21 at which teams will qualify for the state tournament.
As well as hosting a competition this season, Orono’s dance team welcomed a new head coach, Allison Bridges. Bridges was a dancer throughout high school and has coached all levels of dance from junior high to collegiate and semi-pro.
“Changing coaches can be scary, but they’ve faced the challenge head on,” Bridges said. “I think we’re all going to have an incredible journey together.”
The dancers’ journey begins Sat. Nov. 23 at Maple Grove High School for their first invitational jazz competition. Orono’s dance team is prepared for the winter season with hours of rehearsal and the right steps.
