The Becker Dazzlers Dance Team kicked off their competitive season Dec. 5 in Detroit Lakes.  

 

The team prospered and was quite successful with a first place finish in JV Kick and third place finishes in both JV Jazz and Varsity Jazz and a fourth place finish in Varsity Kick.

 

Coaches Julie Baloun and Nadia Fischer-Danzeisen said there were many "firsts" on the team.  For some, it was their first time competing at the varsity level.  For others, it was their first dance team competition ever. 

 

For the only senior (Captain Mikayla Henkemeyer), it was her last "first" competition of her high school dance team career.  

 

“We've come a long way this season and we've conquered out first competition,” said Captain Morgan Meyer. “It was great for all our new team members to perform in front of a cheering crowd, some for their first time ever."

 

The JV Jazz team started the day off the day with a solid performance, earning the third place spot. 

 

“It was very exciting for us to get our feet wet on the competition floor,” said Coach Fischer-Danzeisen. “We have many new teammates this year, so their success makes me hopeful for the rest of the season.”

 

Fischer-Danzeisen went on to say “we're looking at adding and changing a few things to help us improve our scores and push past last years scores.” 

 

The coaches noted that since jazz is not usually as fast-paced as kick, the timing of turns are crucial. Judges scores reflect the execution of timing and placement in turns based on uniformity. 

 

Baloun and Fischer-Danzeisen say the team is looking forward to working hard at these executions and continuing to add strength to each performance.

 

Following JV, the Varsity Jazz team debuted their 2015-2016 routine,  earning them a third place finish. 

 

The coaches said “the technique of turns and jumps has improved from last year to this year, even with such a young team.” 

 

Baloun and Fischer-Danzeisen are looking to improve on small details coming up this Thursday. 

 

“I couldn't be more proud of the way the girls have handled all of the changes and adversity they've faced this season,” said Fischer-Danzeisen. “The maturity shown by them proves to me that they are ready to handle anything that life, school and dance throws at them.” 

 

Fischer-Danzeisen says she is especially anxious to see how far this team will come this season.

 

“It has been fun for me to get to work with jazz more this year and learn new technique that can help the team in both kick and jazz categories,” said Baloun. “We really try to focus on the dancer overall and making them strong in both.”

 

Becker’s JV Kick team entertained the crowd with their upbeat kick routine, dancing with great enthusiasm and earning first place.

 

Coaches Baloun and Fischer-Danzeisen said the kicks were higher than they have been in the past and the showmanship was beautiful to watch. 

 

“We were really struggling with this routine at practice so this win is outstanding,” said Fischer-Danzeisen. “The team really came together and performed at their very best!” 

 

Fischer-Danzeisen said she will continue to talk about doing their best at all times for assurance that each and every competition is performed at its best.

 

“I'm very excited for them their first time out and am energetic about the rest of the season.”

 

This was Varsity Kick's second time performing their routine and first time in competition. This category of dance is called "High Kick/Precision". Unity, timing, precise body angles and clean formations are all crucial elements for high scores.

 

“This is the first year on Varsity Kick for over half of our team,” said Baloun. “A big focus for us is learning to dance together as a team by improving our timing and our strength in movement. The team has progressed quickly and I am excited and confident that this group of athletes will work hard and we will see great improvement in our scores as the season goes on.”

 

The Dazzlers began preparations for their first Granite Ridge Conference meet of the season when they traveled to St. Cloud Cathedral Thursday.

 

(A full report on the meet will occur in next week’s Citizen). 

 

“Overall, this team has great potential at both the JV and varsity levels,” said the coaches. “We need to continually be challenging our athletes and evaluating our routines to remain competitive.”

 

A recent article about the Becker Dazzlers in the Sherburne County Citizen has raised some questions that need clarification. 

 

Former Head Coach, Laura Anderson resigned for private, personal and professional reasons at the beginning of the season. Although she no longer coaches, she remains a strong advocate for and strong supporter of the team and current coaches. 

 

The team is now being Co-coached by Nadia Fischer-Danzeisen and Julie Baloun. Additionally, a reference to the coaches "scrambling to put together a squad worthy of competing in this year's tough conference and sections" may have been misinterpreted. The writer’s intent was to illustrate the competitiveness in the new section assignment, which is among one of the toughest sections in the state and not to reflect negatively on the current teams abilities. 

 

The coaches are impressed with the work ethic and talent of the 2015-2016 team and are excited to see their progress this season. The start of their season has been successful and they expect more success in the future. The article was meant to be a preview of the season and address the struggles that can come with any kind of change.