The Purrfections dance team has taken an early leap into the next school year with choreography for the 2014 competition routines beginning in late May and early June.
There are five four-hour practices scheduled to take place throughout the month of June during which dancers will learn their competition pieces in preparation for the regional competition in late January.
Keiran Sheridan, varsity officer, is anticipating the new dance routine that involves a completely new look for The Purrfections.
“I am so excited to learn our new jazz dance. It is different from our previous dances because it seems to have a lot more intricate technique and sexier moves,” Sheridan said. “Summer practices are crucial so we can learn are routine and take it to camp to get back critiques from the UDA judges, which helps us make the routine better before competition. The biggest problem with summer practices is trying to find times that the gym is available. It’s always really booked up.”
The dancers attend the Universal Dance Association Summer Camp each year in early July. The four-day camp is held at Stetson University in Deland where the girls stay in dorms, eat college food, and dance all day and into the night. The girls learn three dances and then preform on the last day for the judges where they will be awarded a blue, red, or silver ribbons based on their individual performance.
Mikayla Larson, assistant coach and former Purrfections dancer will be chaperoning the camp along with head coach April Shaw.
“It is so rewarding to be an assistant coach and to really have my experience come full circle,” said Larson, a Class of 2011 West Shore graduate. “This summer I will be attending UDA camp with the team and will take classes on how to effectively be more than just a coach, and will learn how to help the team excel.”
