Dance team busy perfecting its routines

Talk about it

Q & A with Katie Remer

Practice started on Oct. 21. What is the progression of those practices?

KR: The first couple weeks we have been working on learning the routines, going over technique and increasing our stamina.  We try to focus a little bit on everything every day at practice. 

What is the process from the very start to creating and executing routines? 

KR: About two weeks before the season begins, one-third of the team can start doing choreography for the dances.  Once the choreography is completed, we can begin teaching it to the dancers.  They have the opportunity to learn and perfect these dances to the best of their ability and then a mini-tryout will be held to determine where the girls will be placed for performances.  After they are placed, we complete formations and begin perfecting the dance as a whole team.  This can take some time to complete.  After each competition we review the dance to determine things that worked well and parts that we may want to consider changing.  The dance we begin with is usually not the same as the dance that we end with because we are constantly adjusting and changing parts to make sure we have the best dance possible.

Was there a good turnout for the fall dance club that performed at the football games this fall?

KR:A good majority participated in the fall dance club this year.  We had over 50 dancers participate.  It is great to see that so many want to participate in our program.  Bobbie Pasbrig did a wonderful job coaching them this season.  Many of our dancers also participated in other things this fall including, marching band, tennis, and football stats.

Your senior captains are Kelsey Jensen, Amanda Kepler, and Chelsey Weierke. What is their role within the team?

KR: These captains are responsible for creating and teaching the routines for the varsity team.  They helped create the new Jazz costumes that we will be wearing this season.  They help the coaches get important information out to the dancers when we are not at practice.  With over 40 girls on the team, they have really helped the coaches with explaining proper technique and placement to the other team members.  Other seniors, including Kaitlin Webster and Rachael Krause, have also been a great asset to helping create a great learning atmosphere at practice.  These girls have all put in a lot of extra time and effort to make the team the success it already is and will continue to be this season.

What are some of the meets the team looks forward to most? 

KR: Overall, the team mostly looks forward to the Missota meets.  The competition within the Missota Conference is extremely high so it’s a great opportunity to really do well.  The Missota Conference includes Farmington, Prior Lake, Holy Angels, Northfield and Hutchinson.  This year we are hosting the Missota Conference meet on Jan. 24.  It will be an exciting day in Farmington.

How has your program progressed over the last few years?

KR: The team has really grown over the past four years.  They have gone from a team of 15, to now a team of over 40.  Their talent and skill level continues to improve and I am constantly impressed at the progress we have made.  As of last season, we moved from AA to AAA status within the high school league.  The girls took this in stride and pushed the boundaries of their dances and proved that they could dance right with the rest of the AAA teams.  The team not only excels on the dance floor but they also succeed in the classroom.  Last year, we were acknowledged by the Minnesota State High School League for having a cumulative GPA as a team of over 3.0.  As a coach of student athletes, I am most impressed and excited by this.

Tags: sports, dance, team, katie, remer