WACPC STATE DANCE CHAMPIONSHIPS, LOCAL WINS!

The WACPC State Dance Championships were held over the weekend here in La Crosse at the La Crosse Center, and we had local representation and big wins!

Congratulations to Aquinas Dance Team who took 1st place in division 5 Pom and also Division 3 Jazz!

Congrats also to the following local schools who qualified and participated at the State Competition over the weekend: Tomah, GET, West Salem, Arcadia, Holmen, La Crosse Central, and all of the other talented dancers from all over who came to our city to compete!

Congratulations also to the Onalaska High School Dance Team for winning 3rd place in Division 2 Jazz!

There has always been a debate that dance is not a sport. As a person who has danced since the age of 5, both as a hobby and competitively, I can tell you with 100% certainty that dance is in fact a sport. The amount of strength and stamina it takes to complete a high intensity dance routine for 2 to 3 minutes, sometimes longer, without stopping, takes great lung capacity and endurance. On top of that; balance and coordination and memory skills as you’re remembering all of your steps. Also, remember to point your toes, straighten your legs, smile (but not overly smile cause you look fake), and keep your chin up. Oh, and watch your lines to be sure you don’t run into anyone during transitioning from one formation to another (all while dancing the whole time). Those are just a few of the things you’re thinking about…there are more.

I also coached the Logan High School Dance Team from 2000-2006, and I also taught studio dance for 13 years. Those kids were more in shape than some of the football players in the school. How do I know that? Because they told me after trying a practice with us one day. Dance is an incredibly demanding sport and highly underrated and underappreciated. If you get anything from my soap box, maybe you’ll have something important to add the next time someone says, “dance is not a sport.”