Mayo Fall Dance Team has started preparing for their biggest day of their season, Homecoming. Providing the entertainment show for halftime at home football and soccer games, they also appear at the Top 10 and Top 5 pepfest for announcing the Homecoming court royalties. Homecoming is the biggest part of their season, and they are anxiously preparing for their peak.
For Homecoming the dancers of the team are feeling mostly excited but a little nervous due to the number of performances and practice that go into making these dances shine. Greenlee Laughlin, a senior captain for MFDT, is going into her third season of MFDT: “The team and I are super excited for the upcoming Homecoming events! They are definitely the most exciting times of the season because the student body has so much spirit and that fuels our performances. However, we have a lot of practice to do to make sure we are in great shape to dance!”
Mikaela Sarran, one of the coaches for the Mayo Fall Dance Team, is going into her second season of coaching along with Coach Morgan. For Homecoming she feels “super excited for Homecoming! It’s such a great time to show the school what the dance team is all about. The team gets the opportunity to perform up close in the gym at pep fests and on the field at one of the busiest games of the year.” The coaches and dancers are equally excited about the impending fun and chaotic events to come. However Sarran states that, “As we approach Homecoming events the team works hard to perfect each of their routines; cleaning the dance and making sure everyone knows the moves and formations!” This excitement seems to be well-earned with lots of hard work put in by all the members of Mayo Fall Dance Team.
The dancers have been laboriously preparing themselves for this moment with practices after school 3 to 4 times a week. During these practices Greenlee states, “we utilize that time efficiently to improve our dances and performance quality. Also, the team has such a special bond that we form through these practices and quality time, and I think that comes off when we perform!” Mayo fall dance team takes it a step further and has morning practices before every performance. The dancers spend most of the first semester with each other.
Greenlee believes that with this huge amount of time the dancers all spend together, they form sister-like bonds: “Mayo Fall Dance Team is so amazing because it is apparent that every girl loudly loves the team and is proud to be a part of the team. I think that positivity and passion drives the team forward and allows all the girls to develop such special friendships.”
This “loud love” has been felt by Kate Alleckson, a senior, who is gearing up for her first Homecoming as a fall dancer. With it being her first season you would expect to feel scared or out of place but Kate says, “It has felt like I have been on the team all four years with how inviting the girls have been!” She has leaped right into a caring and homey team, and she recommends that everyone do the same. For Homecoming she says, “I’m a little nervous with having three dances in one day, but I’m sure the team will still do great, but I’m most excited to do the dance + cheer dance and to just have fun with it.”
Even with being part of the team for less time than some of the dancers, Sarran can still feel the sisterly bonds that form. She even believes that it matters most to the team this season saying, “Each year we work hard to create a group of dancers who have a strong bond. We work hard to create fun and creative routines that are entertaining to all ages. Teamwork and friendship goes a long way!”
So far, the season has been going well, says dancer Greenlee Laughlin, although not without bumps. “It has gone so so fast! What has been challenging this season is scheduling; every girl is so busy and involved in other extracurriculars so it can be hard to maintain attendance. But the connections formed between the dancers and the joy that brings to their high school experiences is definitely the highlight.”
Greenlee’s favorite highlight is Homecoming, but for first year Kate Alleckson, “The most memorable thing will be TP night with the team. I’ll never forget that one,” referring to the timeless tradition that Mayo athletes hold near and dear, toilet papering each other’s houses. Mayo Fall dance team along with cheer goes up against the football team. A harmless but iconic tradition that most students love, but parents despise.
The rest of the season is expected to be just as good or even better than it has been going. Coach Sarran believes that in order to achieve this, the dancers need to keep working hard but also just have some fun. Her goal for the rest of the season is for the girls to finish strong and keep performing any chance they get.
One of these chances is a showcase at the end of the season. “Following Homecoming performances, we are going to refine and clean up our routines in preparation for the all-school dance team showcase,” Greenlee said. This annual showcase will be happening at Century High School where all three high school dance teams meet and show off their season’s dances.
Photos courtesy of Abbey Ackerman
