Performing a sentimental routine at both basketball halftimes, the dance team celebrated a memorable year at Senior Night. Members reflected on their bonds and had many heartfelt moments.
This year’s dance team roster is dominated by seniors: seven in total, which is nearly half the team. As a member of the team myself, I can speak for all of us when I say it is sad to see them go. They greatly influenced the team and are loved by all.
Abby Brown is an important leader who does so much for the team. Although she plays this role, she says she struggles with staying organized and keeping everyone up to date with what the team is doing. Abby was strongly influenced by Brooke Huffaker, a senior dancer when she was a freshman. She saw her as an amazing leader, and wanted to be just like that. Many would agree that Abby lived up to that goal. Being on the dance team helped Abby to learn to manage her time, a skill that she believes she will use the rest of her life. Overall, Abby is thankful for her time on the team because the girls are really sweet and feel like a second family.
Lexie Dishner is an encouraging member of the team and always maintains a positive attitude towards dance. She loves when the team has team-bonding parties at the coach’s house because they do scavenger hunts that are very fun and make her excited for the season. Lexie claims Mrs. Sheila Dixon, the dance coach, influenced her the most. She says, “She has not just influenced me as a dancer, but as a person. She has taught me the most about selflessness, compassion, and friendship during my 4 years at Central. She has been the best role model for me and all the girls on the team!” Overall, Lexie describes her experience on the team as incredibly life-changing. It helped her to grow as a dancer and make a lifelong community of girls who will always have her back. She says, “This team is an essential part of my high school experience and I will cherish everything I’ve learned from my coaches and teammates with me into college and whatever my future holds.”
Julia Mize is another senior that has had a huge influence on the team. Not only is she a very skilled and experienced dancer, but she also taught the team several of the dances they performed this year. Because of this, Julia says that she learned to overcome the fact that she can’t control everything. One of her favorite memories from the team is the trips they take for competitions. She finds it fun to stay in a hotel with the team and spend time with them. Julia has loved her time on the dance team and she is sad to leave this year. She says, “The girls are more than just a group of friends because when you spend so much time together, you grow real bonds.”
Kate Redd, who was chosen as the homecoming representative for the dance team this year, is another senior. One of her best memories from the team was going to different schools and experiencing different places for football season. She says that one of the biggest challenges of being on the team is getting to know all of the dancers and getting comfortable with them. For Kate, being on the team was a great experience thanks to her coach and teammates. She has also been able to get more involved with school from being on the dance team.
Trinity Sankey is a senior who is often referred to as the “mom” of the team. She always looks out for every member of the team and is very dependable and genuine. As a dancer, Trinity does all her skills on the left since that is her dominant side. However, the rest of the team does skills on the right, so that has been an obstacle she had to face and overcome for the past few years. Trinity’s favorite memory from the team was the South-Doyle football game. This game was very enjoyable for her due to the rain, everyone was acting crazy and having fun. Trinity says that Sheila influenced her greatly, since she helped her become a better dancer by noticing little details and encouraging her to try her best.
Haley Palmer, a senior who is known for her kind personality, is loved by the entire team. Haley is always a person you can go and talk to and depend on when you need to. Her favorite memories each year are always the Sevierville football games. It is usually raining at them, and the girls always bond really well and have fun. She says that she has been strongly influenced by Sheila, who always pushed her to become a better dancer. She always wanted to make Sheila proud since she is such a big person in her life. Haley loves every single one of her teammates and she believes that they have pushed her to be the best dancer she can be. Haley says, “my experience as a dancer has been really pleasant because I’ve been through a lot in high school and dance has been an outlet for me”.
Amani Wilson, a senior who joined the team this year, has really enjoyed her experience. She says her favorite memories included the rainy South Doyle football game, and the team bonding parties that they do at Sheila’s house. The biggest challenge for her was learning all of the football routines before football camp.
Clearly, the seniors on this year’s dance team are very important and have had a huge impact on the members. It will be very hard for the team to see them go.
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