Highsteppers Excel in National Dance Competition
The Huntington High School Highsteppers took the Eastern Cheer and Dance Association’s national competition by storm, finishing near the top in four different categories.
The three-day trip to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, capped off another fine season by the group. The Highsteppers battled an assortment of dance teams from all over the country, finishing as first runner-up in lyrical dance and as the second runners-up in jazz dance, pom and kick.
As a result of their outstanding performance, several Highstepper team members were invited to participate in the All-American Cheer and Dance Pro Bowl Performance Tour and National Scholarship Invitational in Honolulu, Hawaii in 2011. “This is an opportunity that the selected girls may take advantage of individually,” said Joan R. Fretz, Huntington’s director of fine and performing arts who oversees the Highstepper program.
Highsteppers head coach Lora Ayala said she was very proud of the team. “They had a great season both locally and nationally and even though there were many new members this year, the team really gelled well,” Ms. Ayala said. “This year’s accomplishments set us up for even higher goals next year. We’d love to go back to South Carolina and win next year!”
The Highsteppers were joined down south by two other Long Island high school teams from Bethpage and Half Hollow Hills West. The atmosphere in Myrtle Beach was exceedingly positive and good sportsmanship was the norm throughout the competition. “One of the teams from New Jersey cheered loudly for our team every time they competed,” Ms. Fretz said.
Sarah Kulchinsky, co-captain of the Highsteppers, said she felt Huntington was well-matched with the teams they competed against and she was “proud” the squad placed in every competition category. (There were only three awards for each category.)
The Highsteppers were busy all fall and winter, rehearsing for several competitions hosted by the Long Island Kickline Association at Nassau Community College. In the January competition, the Highsteppers placed second in lyrical dance. At one in February captured second place in lyrical and grabbed first in pom. In March they were second again in lyrical and third in pom.
It’s with mixed emotions that the four seniors on the team are helping aspiring dancers prepare for this spring’s Highstepper tryouts. “This team has a lot of skill,” Ms. Kulchinsky explained. “Each member has their own unique talents that they bring to the team. We worked really hard this year and went from fourth place to first place in our local competitions. We are all going to miss the team and our time together, but we’re confident that they will have great leadership in the future.”
Try-outs for next year’s Highstepper team are scheduled for June. For more information, contact Ms. Ayala at starfly78@aol.com or assistant coach Kristen Margraf at kmargraf20@gmail.com.
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