Competitive dancers show commitment, skill

The IHSA Competitive Dance season ended Feb. 1 at Grossinger Arena in Normal. Teams from across the state competed for the championship title in Classes 1A, 2A and 3A. Each year the level of competition increases. Thank you to the Daily Herald, which increased coverage in The Herald reading area.

The grueling lifestyle of dance, and in this genre, competitive dance, is a committed lifestyle with no physical breaks in the year and few mental breaks. Like all high-performing teams, individual dancers commit to their own development. They spend solitary hours away from the team practicing their skills, stretching muscles to severe lengths, rehearsing alone in garages, basements and any space they can find to accommodate perfecting the movements that become a part of the whole. Thirty hours a week is not an exaggeration. This solitary commitment is a promise to the team … I will be prepared to be your teammate.

One significant distinction for dancers lies in the physical necessity that, in fact, they must move as one body with symbiotic precision not seen or required in other high school sports. To be a successful dance team, dancers set aside their egos and even personal flare to perform as one — breath by breath, move by move.

The Barrington High School Broncettes along with their many competitors fill me with admiration both for their talent and their commitment to each other. They understand the importance of working together, of setting aside personal differences in order to achieve at the highest level. I want to thank the Broncettes, these talented athletes, for sharing the beauty, athleticism, energy and singularity of their performance with their fans. I am inspired and proud to be the grandma of one such dancer.

Ann Riebock

Barrington Hills