The winter sports season is in full swing, and the Prior Lake Dance Team is back on their home turf. On Tuesday, December 5th, Prior Lake Dance Team held a conference kick competition, making it the first dance competition at Prior Lake High School since 2018.
After being skipped in the conference rotation in previous years because of COVID-19 and then a school remodel, Prior Lake finally had a chance to compete on their home floor. They plan to host again next month for the B-Squad/JV Championship.
“I had honestly forgotten we had the opportunity to host events,” said Izzy Dwire, a senior captain. “Everything was very organized and the entire competition went really well.”
Competing at home does not give dancers a direct advantage, but it helps them feel more comfortable and excited.
“I could tell the team had an extra burst of confidence,” said Madeson Stalmer, a head coach for PLDT. “Dancers were familiar with the space and got to mark on the floor beforehand.”
Having the competition at home also encouraged more people to watch and there was a significant turnout.
“I saw people that don’t normally attend dance events in the audience,” Dwire said. “It’s a lot harder to get people to go to dance competitions compared to sports like football or hockey.”
The dancers also enjoyed seeing their friends and classmates at the competition and showing their support for the team.
“People start to understand more about what our sport actually is and who we are as a team when they watch a competition,” Dwire said.
With the stress of competing, the team did not have to worry about any of the organization or planning factors that went into the night. The competition would not have been possible without the help of numerous staff, parents, and volunteers.
A lot of time was spent planning with the school administration, custodians, and the conference coordinator.
“We are so appreciative of their help with going over logistics of the day and setting everything up,” Stalmer said.
Dance competitions require more space than most sporting events as the dancers spend most of their time outside the main gym. Every team needs a dressing room and space to practice to ensure they are prepared to compete.
“Coaches from other teams said they loved the flow and layout of the competition, especially the use of the school,” Stalmer said. “Dancers were able to stay separated from spectators while they were getting in the mindset to compete and everyone felt like they had plenty of space.”
The team will compete in their last conference competition on December 16th, and then the season consists of invitationals until sections.
Conference competitions are important as they show teams how they compare to their competitors that will be at sections.
“We need to place in the top three at sections to make it to state, which is the biggest goal of our team,” Dwire said. “It was really special to work towards this goal at home.”
