MHS Dance Team shines at UDA camp

The MHS Dance Team had a successful four days at the end of July.

Eighteen of the 19 girls who make up the 2012-13 team received a number of awards at the Universal Dance Association camp at St. Norbert’s College in De Pere from July 28-31.

“We couldn’t be more excited,’’ said MHS Dance Team co-coach Jackie Jaucian, who is in her first year coaching the team along with Laura Houlihan.

The girls won the home routine competition using a pom routine that was choreographed by the seven seniors on the team, Jaucian said. There were 15 school dance teams at the camp and about 10 of them competed in the home routine competition, Jaucian said.

The girls also won a Superior Trophy, which is given to the teams that perform the best on three different routines done by each girl. Individuals receive a blue, red or white ribbon with blue being the best.

“Every single one of our girls received a blue ribbon for every routine -- 54 blue ribbons,’’ Jaucian said.

By winning those two competitions, the MHS Dance Team has been invited to the UDA National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Fla., on Feb. 1-3, 2013. Jaucian said the team plans to compete.

Team members include freshmen Lidi Meinholz, Madison Pincombe and Lauren Smith; sophomores Chloe Buchholz, Samantha Dresen, Natalie Grande, Lexi McCann and Amanda Ramirez; juniors Emily Padrutt, Maya Salmon, Desi Schaller and Mackenzie Wild; and seniors Amber Googins, Ana Hursh (captain), Emily Katsuma (captain), Amanda Pigos, Sadie Strassman (captain), Sara Schmitz, who wasn’t able to attend the camp, and Danielle Wallenfang.

"The girls really worked hard all summer and really set the bar high at camp,'' Houlihan said. "I feel incredibly lucky to have such a talented and amazing group of young women to work with and coach. .. They were an inspiration to their peers at camp and continue to inspire me as well."

The team also won the Leadership Award, which Jaucian said is voted on by their peers. Teams were instructed to vote for the team they would want to be on if they couldn’t be on their own.

“That award was a huge honor for us,’’ Jaucian said.

Six MHS dancers – Googins, Pigos, Wallenfang, Padrutt, Salmon and Schaller --  also won the Team Full Out award. They were taught basic choreography and then had to add formations and extra choreography before making it into a team routine. They received the award for superior creativity, Jaucian said.

Finally, Pigos and Googins were named All-Americans and will have the opportunity to travel to London and perform in a New Year’s Day parade. They had to come in early every day, Jaucian said, and learn a separate dance that included two eight counts of pom, two eight counts of jazz, two eight counts of hip hop, and two eight counts of their own choreography.

“I feel so fortunate to have been blessed with the opportunity to coach these young women,’’ Jaucian said. “I am so incredibly proud of how much they’ve already improved and how much they’ve accomplished in such a short period of time. I can’t wait to work with them all year and to see what the season brings.’’