The crowd is cheering ready for the show to start. Many teams lined up ready to perform to the best of their abilities. As a hush rolls over the crowd and the lights dim, the first performance starts.
Highlands Dance and Cheer have had a very successful season. Over the weekend of November 23, both teams had competitions.
The cheer competition took place at Rupp Arena in Lexington and they won first place in their game day routine.
“It felt great to win. It was a major stepping stone for our team since this is one of our first major wins in a few years,” Mina Shen (11) said.
They competed against three other teams: Betsy Layne, Leslie County, and Prestonsburg High School. Their biggest competition was Betsy Layne due to them being the highest-scoring team last year at nationals.
The dance competition also took place at Rupp Arena in Lexington where varsity won first place in hip-hop and fifth in pom. Junior varsity got second in their pom routine.
“The dedication and hard work that my team and I have invested throughout this season truly paid off when we secured the victory. There is no greater satisfaction than the win and adding another trophy to our collection. The feeling was unreal after the domination over Lafayette,” Adalynne Shaw (10) said.
Lafayette has been a major competition for Highlands over the years, and winning against them was a huge accomplishment.
This atmosphere is new for some junior varsity dancers and the surrounding support encouraged them to compete…
“When other teams were watching us and cheering us on it helped make everyone have more energy and confidence,” Lexi Torrano (9) said.
Overall, the weekend was a major success for the dance and cheer team.
