Lake Orion dance team looking to build off of first Nationals appearance
LAKE ORION, Mich. — The Lake Orion Dance Team Program was reestablished in 2017 with teams at the High School and Middle School levels. Since that time, several teams have been added and the program now includes opportunities for LOCS dancers in 1st through 12th grade. All teams are under the direction of the Varsity Head Coach, Autumn Hegner, 聽and are overseen by the LOHS Athletic Department. Tryouts take place in May and each team has a season tailored to their age level.
The Mini and Petite teams are for the youngest dancers in the school district – those in first through third grade. Their season lasts ten to fifteen weeks starting in September. They learn a Pom routine, dance at a JV football game and attend two to three competitions. They participate in all program team bonding events and are assigned a mentor from the Varsity or Middle School team through the LODT Big Sister/Little Sister program.
The Elementary School team is for fourth and fifth graders. Their season starts in late May when they learn their game day and sideline routines. They dance at three to four Freshman or JV football games and compete a Pom and Jazz routine at three to four competitions.
The Varsity and Middle School teams start their season in late May and attend an overnight Dance Team Camp in July where they learn several game day routines. Both teams compete at four to five regional competitions in Jazz and Pom – Varsity also competes in Hip Hop – and travel to Orlando, Florida in February to compete at Nationals. The Varsity team can be seen performing on the sidelines and at halftime of all Varsity Football home games and the Middle School team performs at five Freshman, JV and Middle School football games. The Varsity, Middle School and Elementary School teams also perform at Dragon on the Lake, the Homecoming Parade and Homecoming Game.
The teams have various first-place and regional championship titles and the Varsity and Middle School teams both made it to the finals during their first Nationals appearance earlier this year.
Throughout the entire program, the coaching staff teaches the importance of teamwork and leadership in a variety of ways that are age-appropriate for each team. There is also a heavy emphasis on having fun in and out of practice with team bonding activities and events – including a summer BBQ, a trip to the cider mill in the fall and a pep rally for the families to kick off competition season. 聽The coaching staff loves sharing their passion for dance team with dancers in Lake Orion Community Schools and are proud of the opportunity the LODT program offers students in the district. Look for them this fall at Dragon Stadium!
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