Glenbrook North's first-year dance team headed to state finals this weekend

Glenbrook South and Loyola Academy are old hat at this.

Glenbrook North, not so much.

Long a school activity, the 2021-22 academic year is the Spartans' first time fielding a competitive dance team.

In a coincidence about as good as it gets, the Spartans make their debut at the Illinois High School Association Competitive Dance State Final this weekend at Grossinger Motors Arena in Bloomington.

"Our goal was to make it to state, so that's awesome that we reached that goal," said Glenbrook North's fifth-year head coach Nicole Collins.

"I think, moving forward for this weekend, we really just want to take it all in and perform to the best of our ability, probably for the last time this season, so it's exciting."

Spartans co-captains Anabelle Kieffer, Maria Roches, Alex Whitehead and Annie Young led the 24-deep squad to a fifth-place finish at one of Deerfield's two Class 3A sectionals.

Thirty teams apiece in Class 1A, 2A and 3A qualified out of five statewide sectionals into the final.

Starting at 10:15 a.m. Friday with St. Anthony in Class 1A and concluding with Class 3A Warren a little over 9 hours later, in two minutes per routine the squads vie for 12 slots per class advancing into Saturday's final round.

"It's a very new experience. Competition is not something that we've ever put ourselves out there for," said Collins, whose Spartans hit the floor at 6:49 p.m. Friday.

"I'm just very proud they've put in the time, and I think it's showed. It's a great group of girls to take this first step with."

It's good to have mentors, and Collins has one in 20-year Glenbrook South Titan Poms coach Julie Smith.

A 2010 Glenbrook South graduate and dancer, Collins has called on her former coach during Glenbrook North's transition to competition.

"I talk to her all the time, and she helps me out," Collins said.

Smith can't possibly divulge all her secrets.

Glenbrook South has qualified for the state final seven straight years, and in eight of nine years since competitive dance gained a state series in 2012-13. The Titans placed fifth in Class 3A in 2013 and 10th in 2017.

At 7:07 p.m. Friday, Glenbrook South is the 88th - and third from the last - team to compete in the preliminary round.

The late start means nothing.

"No matter where you are on the sheet you have to be good enough to advance," Smith said.

Despite their pedigree, advancing out of the Deerfield sectional was not necessarily a done deal for the Titans. Over the prior couple weeks, girls had been out sick, Smith said. Their routine, set to five different songs around a theme of "Wake Me Up" (and yet Wham! was not involved) wasn't scoring.

On Jan. 22, though, it gelled.

"At Deerfield we had the whole team there, all 20 girls out on the floor together, and they were just so happy to be together and to be able to show our routine the way it's designed and planned. They were just so energized and had such good vibes," Smith said.

Glenbrook South placed second in its 3A sectional to Maine South, which Smith cites as a team to beat along with Lake Park, Barrington, Minooka, St. Charles East and defending champion Stevenson. The 2021 finals were competed virtually.

It's literally a smart group at Glenbrook South. Between co-captains Gretchen Houser, Sophia Kendall, Livia Mullaney and Chloe Stannard, and fellow seniors Lily Davis, Madison Jenkins and Jordan Raizer, their average grade-point average is 4.4.

"Our goal is always to make it to the second day," Smith said. "But, to be honest, my goal is to give the girls the experience, to give them the opportunity to dance at a state contest, and however that turns out doesn't really matter as much as allowing them the experience."

Loyola Academy is right there with Competitive Dance Final experience. The Ramblerettes make their seventh downstate appearance this weekend, their sixth straight.

Loyola finished in sixth place overall in 2019, and return senior captains Eva McHugh and Ava Placio from that squad. Francesca Menconi is Loyola's third senior captain.

"All three were on the team that placed 10th in the nation at the Universal Dance Association Nationals, both last year and in 2020," said coach Kerry Dubay. "These three are some of the most talented dancers and most dedicated captains our team has ever had."

Loyola's strong enough that in 2020 its Varsity Gold team went to the UDA Nationals in Orlando, a big-deal annual competition held this year from Feb. 4-6. Meanwhile, Loyola's Maroon team represented the school at the IHSA state final on the same weekend.

Though Dubay is in her second season as Loyola's head coach and fourth overall in Wilmette, she came vastly qualified. Along with coaching at Dundee-Crown and Niles North, and bearing a master's degree in dance education, Dubay served as head instructor on the UDA staff.

A varsity judge for eight years, including at the National Dance Team Championship, she also helped out at events like the Capital One Bowl. She knows of what she speaks.

"The judges are looking for routines that showcase dance ability, group synchronization, technique and artistry as a team," Dubay said.

At 6:09 p.m. Friday, the Ramblerettes will give it their best shot.