There are many activities to partake in at Xavier, from the fine arts to athletics, and there are countless ways these groups  can entertain their audiences. The dance team is no exception as they perform at pep rallies and halftime shows at football games. 

Seniors Kess Brown and Monica Bean have been on the dance team all four years.

“I can’t picture myself ever not being a part of the dance team. We practice three days a week from 3:00 to 5:00 p.m. on Mondays, Tuesdays and Wednesdays after school and have practices on Saturdays a few times a month,” Brown said. “We all work very hard and I love being a part of such a dedicated and hard working team. I am really cherishing my last year with these girls.” 

While putting in time and effort at weekly practices can be exhausting, Brown does it for more reasons than just self improvement. One of her favorite parts of being on the dance team is the team building and friendships she has made throughout the years.

“When we practice, compete and perform we are always in it together. We are like a family,” Brown said.

At dance competitions, the teams perform their different routines for judges. On October 27, the dance team competed in a competition called the Iowa Spirit Spectacular at Carver Hawkeye Arena. 

“This was our second competition of the season and we completed our pom and  lyrical routines. We placed first in both of our divisions, continuing our winning streak this season, which we are all very excited about,” Brown said.

The dance team most recently competed at the ISDTA State Solo at Newton High School where all six soloists received Division I ratings with Reegan Flugge placing 7 overall and Sara Gundacker placing 1 overall. 

“State Solo is a really cool experience,” Bean said. “This is the first year that a Xavier dancer placed first overall.”

As well as competing, the Xavier Dance Team hosted the annual Xavier Dance Jam on Saturday, November 9.

“Dance Jam is a dance competition that our team hosts at Xavier. Many different studio teams and school teams come from around Iowa to compete, and dancers from the ages of 5-18 come to perform,” Bean said. “It’s a close thing to our hearts because it is our main fundraiser that helps us get to Nationals every year. We’re thankful for the opportunities it has given us.”

The Xavier Dance Team performs next on Friday, December 6 at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines for ISDTA.