On February 2nd through the 4th, a group of Adams High School athletes traveled across the country to Disney World for the. UDA Nationals, the annual competition for high school dance teams. This event is largely anticipated by the members of the dance team, as they only have one chance every year to prove themselves. Other than performances at assemblies and football games, Nationals is the only time the dance team is judged on their routines. 

The Adams Dance team prepares all year for nationals, with practice starting in early summer and ending in spring. Practices occur in the morning before school starts to account for the fact that most girls on the team have studio dance practice in the afternoons. The team’s dedication to their sport alone is enough to win awards. 

The stakes were high for Nationals, which makes for intense situations. Competing 1,000 miles away in Orlando, Florida, is stressful for many dancers. There are numerous factors that can affect the dance, which leads to stress on the floor.

“It’s definitely stressful before. You can practice [your routine] so much, but if the floor is too slippery, it’s hard to be perfect, and if it’s too sticky, it’s hard to be perfect,” said Senior dancer Kate Saari.

The Dance Team performed in the small group category this year. Teams have to place high enough in their category to move on to semi-finals. Enough points in semi-finals can push a group to finals. Points are determined based on technique, emotionality, and performance. 

Unfortunately, the girls didn’t make it past the preliminaries, but their points increased significantly from last year, which is an improvement worth celebrating. 

“We definitely have a better work ethic, better goals, and what we want to accomplish,” said Adams dancers Meredith Murray and Audrey Phillips.

After a weekend of hard work, the team headed back to Michigan without a trophy, and although the team didn’t make it to the semi-finals, UDA is still a great experience for the girls to perform in front of a large audience. Plus, coming home with a tan and some time at Disney World friends and family helped lessen the pain of the loss. 

“No matter if you feel like you did good or not, just knowing that you tried your best is super rewarding,” Says Saari, commenting on how it feels to come off stage after performing.