SHS dance team sweeps districts, prepares for state
Sandpoint High School dancers compete at the regional event held Friday. Pictured: Alia Schmitt, senior captain; Bre Klopman, senior captain; Amanda Steiner, junior; Riley Adam, sophomore; Mikah Little, sophomore; Maddie Coon, sophomore; Haleigh Knowles, sophomore; Serena Bernheisel, Sophomore; Kaylee Bennett sophomore Lily Barker, freshman.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
Mikah Little performs a kick routine at the regional dance competition Friday.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
Haleigh Knowles performs a hip hop routine at the regional competition Friday.
(Photo courtesy of JASON DUCHOW PHOTOGRAPHY)
Left to right, front row: Nikai Nix, Gracie Reichart, Maleah Harshman, Sophia Rojic
standing: Grace Lieuallen, Emily Navarra, Jaimie VanDenBerg, Sadi Dills, Shaleyna Higgins,
Taylor Johnson, Breylan Martin, Olivia Keyes, Logan Hastings, Cody Shepherd and Maya Pignolet.
Photo courtesy of COREY COON
Sandpoint High School’s 10-person dance team placed first in not one, not two, but all four district competition dance categories.
The last and only time the team was able to do that was six years ago, said Laurie Buck, the team’s coach and owner of Studio 1 Dance Academy in Sandpoint.
The girls competed in a team dance category, kick, hip hop and military styles. Most of the team’s members have been coming to her dance studio from a young age, Buck said. Because of that, the students on the team are very used to competing.
“Most started around age 3,” Buck said. “At my studio, we did competitions when they were younger.”
Most of the team members compete in every category, she said. Occasionally, someone will focus on one particular style, or not compete in a category because of an injury.
For freshmen and sophomores, this will be their first year at the state competition, Buck said, as the team wasn’t able to make it the year before.
The girls are nervous, she said, but excited. Now as the team prepares for the state competition on March 20, the dancers will take the same routines they performed at the district competition.
Dance is unique, she said, in that athletes work on specific routines for months at a time to be competition-ready. Having a set routine will give the girls a better chance, although nothing is guaranteed. Still, the team’s accomplishments so far are promising.
“Being district champions in all four categories is pretty big,” she said.
