DES MOINES

When dancers from Lone Tree and Mid-Prairie high schools arrived in Des Moines on Dec. 4, their hearts raced with excitement and nerves. They had been preparing for this weekend since summer, logging nearly a thousand practice hours to grow their skills, refine their technique, and build their teams.

This wasn’t just any competition. For the next two days, they would be performing for judges in what is the largest state high school dance competition in the nation. They would be elbow-to-elbow with over 250 high school teams, more than 5,000 dancers. Judges would view more than 600 routines across 15 categories and provide ratings and rankings.

This was it.

And these ladies nailed it.

At the ISDTA State Team Championships, the Lone Tree dance team placed first in Class I Jazz, taking home the champions’ trophy. They finished third in Class 1 Lyrical and tied for fourth in Class I Pom, the most popular category. All three of their 2-minute routines earned them Division 1 ratings.

“Being able to compete and earn results like we did at State comes with a lot of mental and physical preparation. Lots of hours and hard work go into our season, all while our dancers balance other sports and schoolwork,” Lone Tree dance coach Kelsi Kruse said. “Practices aren’t always easy, but the outcome makes all of it worth it.”

“I’m so proud of how well our dancers did this year at State,” she continued. “They went out and gave it their all and were able to come out on top, and [they] continue to set school records for our dance team. I’m so grateful to be able to coach such hard-working athletes who continue to amaze me every day.”

The Mid-Prairie dance team placed second in Class IV Jazz, where they competed against 11 other teams. They also placed second in Class V Hip Hop, facing 10 other teams. Rounding out their busy competition schedule were Class VIII Pom and Class II MIX routines, both of which landed them solid sixth place finishes. All their performances earned the team Division 1 ratings.

“They practice 990 hours for four 2-minute routines and one shot to place. [There is] no redo, no half time to collect their thoughts or fix anything, no second quarter. [They have] one chance to place,” Mid-Prairie head dance coach Brenna Hutson said. “These girls worked endlessly at practice and outside of practice to perfect their routines and to be able to go out on the floor and perform their routines as one.”

In addition to team competition, three Mid-Prairie dancers also competed in the High School Solo Championships, having landed early time slots starting at 7:30 a.m. on Friday, Dec. 5. The ladies finished consecutively; Returning champion Drea McCain finished fifth, Meadow Flynn sixth, and Lily Hendricks seventh. They faced fierce competition from a field of 66 soloists.

“They are amazing athletes and I’m so proud to be their coach,” Huston said of all her dancers.