Dance team is a very well known sport, though most people never think twice about it. The participants are sometimes thought of as pageant girls, just there to entertain the crowds at halftime until the real sport of football comes back onto the field. Nothing could be further from the truth.

Chelsea sun(9) has been dancing most of her life and is a varsity dancer at Heritage.

“Dancing is my quiet place we’re I go when I get angry or I am sad,” said Sun.

This is common for most dancers because they let their emotions out through dancing and the music

Ximara Starr(9) has been dancing since about middle and school and is also a varsity dance here at Heritage.

“I feel like we should get respected a little more for what we do because we do a lot and don’t get a lot of credit for it and we practice just as much as the other sports,” said Starr.

Dancers are often looked at from the lens of entertainment but people don’t get all the preparation dancers have to go through to hard practices with someone yelling in there ear to make those dance moves sharp and clean for those watching.

Claire Shoemaker(12)  has been dancing since she was little and has been on the Heritage varsity dance team all 4 years

“This is were I meet all of my best friends and make closer friendships and these are the people that I can talk to anything about,” said Shoemaker.

A lot of the girls who participate have been dancing since they were 2 years old. They have learned strength from hours of push-ups and sit-ups at practice. They have built up their stamina enough to be able to endure 2½ minutes of all-out dancing. They have increased their flexibility enough to be able to lift their legs up over their heads without even thinking about it. They can do pirouettes on grass and gym floors without skipping a beat. When is the last time you performed in front of a crowd of hundreds to dance? That takes quite a bit of self-confidence.