After making history last year as the first time the New Trier dance team competed at the Illinois High School Association finals, the team was excited to try again. Dance Team showed up and showed out, taking third place at sectionals, guaranteeing a spot at state. At state, the team fulfilled their goal of placing better than last year, coming in No. 19 out of 30 teams.

“It’s a huge accomplishment to have gotten as far as this team has,” head coach of New Trier Dance Team Courtney Kafkis said.

The competitive girls went to state on Jan. 26 and 27, but they had been preparing hard all year to qualify for the second year in a row.

“Leading up to it [sectionals], obviously we’ve been working really hard,” senior and team captain Goldie Anderson said. “The coaches and everyone has been trying to have a better mindset and better positivity…we all really want[ed] to go to state.”

As well as trying to stay positive, the team had combined days of practices and competition, so the team ended up spending nine hour days together. The team’s closeness made Kafkis’ coaching even more of an enjoyable experience.

“We are so thankful that each and every dancer on the team has an all in attitude,” Kafkis said.

This “all in attitude” is part of what makes the team so strong, in both competition and in practices.

When competing at the team’s competition prior to sectionals, New Trier placed third, behind Fremd High School’s first and second place finishes.The competition had been fierce, and with the pressure New Trier had acquired to return to state, rivaling schools have risen to the challenge.

“[Other teams had been] matching our energy,” senior Alyssa Miller said. “We’re just better this year, so there’s a lot more pressure.” 

As competing schools have been showing up with harder choreography, the pressure was on to create a show stopping dance that will beat the usual winners like Lake Park High School, Stevenson High School, and Glenbrook South High School.

“Our choreography this year is more difficult. It’s almost two minutes of non-stop dancing and we also have more team tricks,” Kafkis said. 

With a higher level of difficulty, the team has had to work extra hard, and long hours. It’s all worth it, because of the bond Anderson feels with her teammates

 “We spend so much time together so it’s like a family,” Anderson said.