As the football season draws to a close, Poms competitive dance leaps their way into their competition season with hopes steadily rising to the beat of their dance routines. Senior Varsity Captain Caroline Szafranski believes their talent and hard work will lead the team to success at nationals as they continue to perfect their dances.

The team is looking forward to another successful season, according to Szafran-

ski. Thanks to a surplus of incoming talent, the team has been able to perform each dance with precision and ease. Following last year’s eighth place finish at nationals, Szafranski believes that the dancers have the chance to make this year even more memorable, as they have already begun perfecting their routines with the hope to have them flawless by nationals in February.

“I’m really excited to see what’s going to happen with our team because every year there are new girls that join, and I want to see how far we can go,” Szafranski said. “Last year we did really well at nationals, so I would love to do even better [this year].”

The key to this success is remaining focused during practices and respecting both teammates and the various choreographers and coaches helping the dancers create a captivating  performance, according to Szafranski. While a good work ethic is crucial to their success, senior Samantha Tvaroh explained that the team members should also be able to enjoy the experience.

“We need to have a great work ethic as well as perseverance through those tough practices, and I think that the vibe and the people this year will help us to be successful in that,” Tvaroh said.

Another major contribution to the overall well-being of the team is the dancers’ bonds with one another, according to Tvaroh. These close connections allow the dancers to dance in step with each other during competition, a major contribution to their prior achievements according to head coach Julie Smith. The team’s bonding not only improves the dancer’s relationship with one another, but also with the dances themselves, according to Tvaroh.

“You have to get everybody to look identical [because] you are trying to look like one dancer,” Smith said. “All movement has to match exactly so that [it] looks identical on the floor.”

After months of polishing a dance, the hope is perfection, but the outcome of that routine isn’t what determines the team’s success, according to Tvaroh. While a trophy does give a visual representation of the team’s victories,  Szafranski and Tvaroh agree that the team is truly victorious when they perform to the best of their abilities, regardless of a first-place medal.

“We should just try to do the best that we can as a team, not try to beat last [year’s finish],” Tvaroh said. “We’re just trying to perform and do the best we can.”

As the upcoming season draws closer, Poms continues to prepare for another year of success, according to Smith. Szafranski believes that there is an opportunity to accomplish even more than in prior years as the dancers come together to create powerful and moving pieces.

“Some people define success as [placing] higher at nationals or [getting] into two categories in finals instead of one, but to me, success is that [the team walks] out on that last day and we feel confident and proud of the product we put out there,” said Smith.

Success in Szafranski’s mind comes from the girls on the team working hard together to perform their dances. Finding time to bond will make all the time the team spends together more enjoyable, and in turn make their dances better, according to Szafranski.

“I want every girl to be close with [everyone on the team] because we see each other every day,” Szafranski said. “[We need to stay] focused and positive.”