We chat with Nashville Stingers Dance Team Coach Alyssa Lohmann on 1A / single-A dance team life, grab some turns in seconde tips with tech expert and brand new Jacobs DT coach Alli Heckman, and reveal hip hop routine and competition-hosting advice from Huntley's Coach Chrissy Amling.
One of Illinois' mini-hotspots for competitive dance is that stretch of southern Illinois between the St. Louis suburbs and Carbondale. That's where the Stingers Dance Team (coached by alum Alyssa Lohmann) do their thing, taking on the IDTA season while also going for an IHSA state qualification. Alyssa takes us through the process of putting a team together with virtual tryouts, the mindset of crafting a lyrical or jazz routine and how to make them work for both the IDTA and IHSA rubrics, and her lifelong pathway toward coaching. Next we breakdown the poll results from our insta story post over the weekend: which is grosser, old jazz shoes or old poms? Hard to segue out of that one, but worrying about those mega-popular turns in seconde will snap you out of it! Coach Alli Heckman has her outstanding tips for getting those a-la-seconde turns better, and we also peak into her return to coaching and taking the reins of the Jacobs Dance program. Then I run through the top 8 most interesting things about the 2008 TDI state schedule (which we posted on instagram last week), including certain teams doing styles you could barely imagine them doing right now! We wrap with the effervescent Coach Amling from Huntley. She takes us behind the scenes of their hip hop routine from this past season, uncovers some hip hop dance wisdom, and serves up some tips on how to host a smoothly running competition! Finishing touches: our fave posts from everyone else's social media over the past week, and a hint to our Illinois coaches on why we're going to need your help with our 8CA questionnaire!
This week's random Office quote:
Dwight: What were your favorite moments?
Michael: Oh, hmm, all of them. I loved them all. Every single one.
Dwight: What about when Jan said the branch was closing?
Michael: God, Dwight!