For the kickline team at Mepham High School, success is common practice.
In local competitions, the team has earned Long Island Championship titles in lyrical and in pom for four consecutive years.
Last year, the team visited the National Dance Championship in Orlando, Florida for the second time. Competing against the best teams in the nation, the team earned third place in the large varsity pom category and second place in the small varsity jazz category, just 5/100 of a point shy of a National Championship.
“They have dedication and willingness to work and continue to improve,” Coach Kerry Dennis said. “One of things that impresses me the most is if they have a successful season the year before, they don't look at it as a guarantee that they’re going to have another one.”
The team also earned two specialty awards, superior showmanship for pom and innovative choreography for jazz. Most teams competing had professional choreographers, while Mepham’s choreography is created by its captains and members of the team.
“It’s a nice honor for them to go down to Florida and do that well against teams from all over the country,” Dennis said.
The team starts in June and goes all the way through the following March. They perform at football games and home basketball games as well.
“We practice four or five times a week, and we really just put our all into it to make it the best we can,” Giana D’Avanzo, a four-year member of the team, said. “Everyone’s so dedicated, so I think that’s a big part of it.”
When asked about the difference between kickline and cheerleading, D’Avanzo said no cheering is involved in their performances, and everything is choreographed to go with music. She also attributed the team’s success to activities that are done off of Mepham’s premises.
“We do a lot of team bonding outside of school,” she said. “I know it’s kind of cheesy, but we definitely consider ourselves a family.”
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