As competition season started to creep up on the dance team, they practiced up to three hours each day just to prepare. Star Steppers and Rubies competed in three competitions during February.

“Practice could be hard some days, but it was definitely good to see our work pay off in the competition dance,” freshman Ruby, Megan Mooney said.

The girls first learned their dances in the summer, and then throughout the year, they brushed up on them to make sure they still remembered them.

The morning of competition, dancers had to wake up at 5 a.m to get ready and be at school at 7 a.m with hair and makeup.

“During the ride [to contest] I like to calm myself so that I’m not stressed about the dance to the point where I start to freak out. I usually sleep, do homework or just listen to music,” sophomore Ruby, Jaylanya Colburn said.

When the girls arrive they put their things down  and start to practice becauses they could be the first to go of the last so they practice until it’s their turn.

“Standing on deck before you perform and hearing the music of other teams going before you, you hope that everyone does their best,” junior Star Stepper, Cierra Rodriguez said. “When you walk on the floor, you can hear your heartbeat, but then the music plays and it’s just like practice.”

Freshman Shelby Galbraith said the girls love to go to competition because they get to do what they love and spend the whole day with their team making memories.

“My favorite memory was in sophomore year I did a solo, and at the time my grandpa was in the hospital,” junior Ciera Beckman said. “It was like I was dancing for him.”

At the Crowd Pleasers competition on Feb. 10, contest came to an end, and the teams waited for their scores hoping the judges saw all the effort they put into the dances. The Rubies won grand champs and best in their category, and the Star Steppers won outstanding choreography.