ALL JAZZED UP

NEVER UNDERESTIMATE the power of storytelling in dance.

Lake Forest High School’s Dance Team in 2022- 2023 certainly did not, as its 18 members accentuated their collective athleticism with a moving narrative at the Illinois High School Association (IHSA) State Finals and at the National Dance Team Championships (NDTC) in January.

“We were encouraged to show our emotions on stage through our dance movements,” senior co-captain and University of Illinois- bound Bentley Frost says. “Dance is an art form as much as it is a sport.”

Head coach Angela McNicholas’ performers excelled in both— topping the Class 2A field to win the program’s first IHSA state title in Bloomington on January 28, and then finishing in fourth place (Large Varsity Pom) and in eighth place (Large Varsity Jazz) in early February at the NDTC in Orlando, Florida. Ashley Nash served as the Scouts’ assistant coach.

Known for its success in the Pom category—LFHS squads won national championships in Pom in 2013 and 2014—the program tapped former Ohio State University Dance Team Choreographer Ricky Ruiz to serve in the same capacity and enliven its Jazz routine.

The team performed to the alternative/indie song If I Had a Boat by James Vincent McMorrow. It’s a tune about transformation and change and resilience, ending with the passage “Now I’m pointed north, hoping for the shore.”

Lake Forest High School’s Scouts started practicing the routine under the guidance of McNicholas (LFHS Class of 2005), Nash (LFHS Class of 2001), and Ruiz in early November.

“Working with Ricky Ruiz was a huge deal for us,” senior cocaptain and Tulane University-bound Elsa Dahlgren says. “The song tells a powerful story. We needed strong choreography to express it. The song is divided into three parts. First, a boat starts to sink. Then, we come together for each other to save our lives. At the end of our routine, at the top right of the stage, we all hug and form a cluster, determined to reach safety together.”

“Ricky,” Frost recalls, “pushed us all out of our comfort zones, and we pushed ourselves every day until we got it right for competitions. It was tough, physically, but it was all worth it because we were doing what we love to do.”

Their January was packed with tests on five consecutive weekends, beginning with a Universal Dance Association regional competition (first place) and continuing with the North Suburban Conference competition, where LFHS took second to Class 3A Stevenson High School. LFHS then secured the Warren Sectional championship in Gurnee, edged Geneva High School 92.72-92.48 for the 2A IHSA state title at the Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington and capped the grueling stretch with two top-eight showings at Nationals.

The dance team’s state championship was the 23rd in LFHS history across all IHSA-recognized sports.

“The hectic month of competition, along with the travel and the preparation, kept them all on their toes and benefited them,” says McNicholas, who also served as the team’s head dance coach during the football season in the fall. “We saw tremendous growth throughout the month as they continued to climb, week after week. They finished their routine beautifully on the second day of the state competition. They hugged, waved to the crowd, and walked off the stage. This group’s priorities began with trust and being solid teammates. They also showed respect and kindness.

“I remember thinking, as soon as they exited the stage at the state competition, ‘It doesn’t matter where we finish.’ I thought that because what I had just enjoyed was our school’s dance team embodying perseverance to come out stronger on the other side—the main message of If I Had a Boat.”

But the squad’s members couldn’t rest on their laurels for a second. They had to practice the next day for Nationals, which commenced in The Sunshine State five days later.

They did, however, find the time to celebrate at Puck’s Pub & Grill in Lake Bluff after their return trip from Bloomington.

“Our team’s dads were so into it,” Dahlgren says. “I think one of them rented out all of Puck’s just for us that night. Another dad saw to it that a recording of our final routine at state ran on the TV at Puck’s. We all got to watch it again. I’ll never forget how I felt while performing near the end of our routine in the state finals. When you’re feeling that everyone is putting their all into it and everything is going well at the same time, you become energized like never before.”

Other members of the 2022-2023 LFHS Dance Team included seniors Mia D’Alessandro, Brynn Waligora, Lily Pedian, Rachel Brown, and Viola Swartout; juniors Alana Tennett, Rachel Silvers, Maddie VanNuys, Ellery Newman, and Bianca Storino; sophomores Reese Harper, Blakely Rice, Lyla Carney, Amelia Hansen, and Kate Westerman; and freshman Mia Konkel.

Each upperclassman achieved All-Academic status in both eligible semesters.

“Pretty amazing,” McNicholas notes. “This group worked hard and paid attention to details. It was a coach’s dream. The IHSA recognition the girls earned elevated them in the eyes of the community.”

McNicholas was an assistant coach under the program’s previous two head coaches. She had worked for five years as a choreographer and assistant dance coach at Loyola Academy in Wilmette.

“(McNicholas) was always there for us inside and outside the studio,” Dahlgren says. “She asked a lot of us, but all of us knew she did that out of love for us.”

The Dance Team state championship placard now hangs in Lake Forest High School’s main gym among all those tennis, swimming and diving, and golf state championship placards.

Dance isn’t a club. Dance isn’t an activity.

It’s a sport, featuring creative game plans (show-stopping routines) and elite athletes.

“That’s so cool,” Dahlgren says. “Our banner will be up in the gym forever.

“Our team left a mark,” Frost adds. “Our team this year had a bond I’d never experienced as a dancer. We clicked instantly and stayed close.

“I loved every minute of the season.”