We got an inside look at Minooka's top 3 season, Hinsdale South's double-state experience, Reavis's pom strategy, what it's like to be on a college dance team on gameday, and plenty of technique tidbits! Plus our top 8 list of this past season's non-qualifiers.
Stuck at home for spring break during these unprecedented times? Well we've got plenty of dance for ya. Minooka Coach Melissa Wallace takes us through their 3rd place 3A experience and what it was like to coach such a talented team all year. And what about the teams that didn't get a state experience? We give 8 of them a big shoutout in our Top 8 non-qualifiers list (and 4 more because we can't stop at 8). 8CA staffer Sophie Leskis shares what game day is like on her college dance team and gives us the scoop on tryouts at Illinois. We also speak with veteran coach Courtney Gillette of Hinsdale South on what it's like to do so well in both IHSA and IDTA, and how her program survived budget cuts and added jazz to their dance arsenal. Reavis Coach Kaitlin Farrell joins us for a revealing chat about how she redirected her program towards pom and what it takes to make a pom routine vibrant and successful. Plus...tons of technique, planning, and team management tips sprinkled throughout, like bacon inside of waffle batter. Yes.