The Competitive Dance Team at Hoffman Estates High School provides students with a special opportunity to embrace their passion in dancing. It helps students learn new skills, improve themselves, and perfect a routine. 

How competitive dance works is; it is first choreographed, which the Hoffman team had hired a choreographer with their fundraising money. After, the judges take notes, score them, and tell them where to make tweaks. Then, the team continually performs it and makes tweaks with the help of a couple of experienced dancers and judges. This process keeps repeating until it’s perfect. 

Due to the dancers continually practicing, perfecting, and performing a routine, they have become unified in passion and perseverance: “The part of Competitive Dance I enjoy most is watching the team give it their all every time we compete,” said Kate Giglio, coach.

Although the Competitive Dance Team at Hoffman is very small, one goal of theirs is to recruit more people. Having a bigger team helps improve the routine and provides support in performance. One way they hope people will join is by doing the summer camp. 

“It’s a place to learn lots of new skills and even do things you never thought you’d be able to do,” said Stephanie Bernal, member of the dance team.

This provides students at Hoffman with a way to freely express themselves while still learning, “I wish more dancers gave Competitive Dance a try because it’s a whole different breed of dance … Competition season allows us to be hyper-focused on one common goal and work on a routine to perfection throughout the season” said Giglio.

Whether you believe dance is your passion, or you just find it as a way to relieve stress, joining the dance team is a valuable opportunity, many find it as a stress reliever and believe that the team is welcoming and supportive. 

“I dance because it gives me freedom to express myself and be creative. Dance gives me relaxation, it takes my mind off of the stress of other things I have to do,” said Cailin Hopkins, member of the dance team. 

Students at Hoffman have expressed how great of an experience dance team has been, “I got to try out new skills and really come out of my comfort zone and show my true potential. I get to really learn and improve,” said Dalyanice Aimar Vázquez Reyes, a member of the dance team.