It’s a new year, and no matter whether you’ve got a New Year’s resolution or not, it’s likely that you’ve got some plans to look forward to in 2019. The Purrfections dance team is no exception.

The team competed in the Florida Championship last Monday, placing third in the Jazz category and second in the Pom category, according to Coach April Shaw. She added that the team is reviewing critiques from the competition in the hopes of improving their scores in nationals.

“If I had one dance-related plan for the new year it would be for varsity to place top three at Nationals,” senior co-captain Macie Goldfarb said. “We placed fourth in both Pom and Jazz last year, so I think we’re definitely capable of stepping it up.”

Shaw said she believes the small and close-knit varsity team’s hard work paid off in the Florida Championships and Goldfarb agrees.

“Personally, I feel like I’ve grown a lot as a dancer this past year,” Goldfarb said. “Being able to focus solely on the Purrfections has made me want to work harder for them and push myself to be the best possible teammate and captain. So I’d say along with improving in my technique and ability as a dancer, I’ve also been able to better myself as a person. The team has become so much stronger over the year, technically and mentally. We’re definitely the most bonded and also the most well-rounded that we’ve been.”

According to Shaw, the walk down “memory lane” will come soon. When asked to describe a favorite dance-related memory of the year, she said: “I don’t really have one for this team yet. We are just getting into the best part of the season- ask me in March.”

Additionally, due to the injury of a dancer during Winter Break, a last-minute routine change had to occur.

“We had to rework the routine to fill the hole,” Shaw said. “I had to make some tough decisions.  It’s always hard to make decisions like that, but right before a competition decisions have to be made that are the best for the team as a whole.”

While some would like to leave 2018 “in the dust,” others, like Goldfarb, enjoyed the experience and benefitted from what they learned from their passion.

“Something I always think about is ‘work hard, stay humble, but be proud’, Goldfarb said. “You can hit your entire routine during a performance, but there will always be something to work on. That being said, it’s important to recognize how hard you’ve worked and pat yourself on the back for that.”

The Purrfections dance team will be competing at the Contest of Champions Nationals on March 2-3.

By Roxy Underwood