Aitkin Dance Team

Dance Team this week

Saturday

High Kick and Jazz at Detroit Lakes Invitational

     The Aitkin Dance Team had a good day at the Pequot Lakes Invite Saturday. Coach Colleen Christensen explains, "We did very well, our Varsity kick score increased 3.2 pts from last week while the Varsity jazz score increased 1.8. The JV jazz score increased by 5.2 pts and the JV kick was down 2.6 pts. We had fewer errors than last week. We spent a lot of practice time this week drilling the choreography and working on execution and routine effectiveness, so we were pleased to see that our hard work was rewarded with higher scores, especially in those areas. We don't compete again until December 14 so the upcoming weeks will be focused on cleaning and refining the choreography, adding difficulty and improving out technique and stamina." Crosby-Ironton finished first in all four categories.

        You might say things were a little sassy in the latter part of 2011 when the Aitkin All Starz got their season going. The previous season they had failed to capture the title at the State Meet and that didn't sit well with the fiery head coach who expected and sometimes demanded perfection from her dancers and her coaches as well. Things would be different when February 2012 came around and she was going to make sure that 2011 was over and once again her girls would be adorned by the time the State was over. You see "tradition" doesn't remember individuals, "tradition" remembers teams and 2012 was going to be the year that the Aitkin All Starz were going to be remembered, come hell or high water. Lisa Roth was high on tradition because by the dictionary meaning tradition is a "customary pattern of thought , action or belief". Everyone would be on the same page from start to finish and they were going to re-establish the "tradition" of the Aitkin All Starz. What happened next was something that had never happened before. The All Starz put together a Kick routine to Hearts on Fire-Rocky theme and the Jazz team danced to Jar of Hearts and both routines carried them to the State Championship. That's right, a double-dip in Class A and a first among Minnesota schools. Bring out the brooms, it was a sweep in 2012. Order had been restored and the best dance coach to never make it to the Hall of Fame had done what she said she was going to back at the start of the season. In my opinion she is the best ever and if you don't agree perhaps you should check the banners that line the walls at the Aitkin High School gym. Tradition is alive and well in the home of the Aitkin Dance Team. Just waiting for that one thing that will bring it all together!

        The Aitkin Dance Team has their first event in the books after the competition in the Paul Bunyan Invitational Saturday in Brainerd. Coach Colleen Christensen was happy after the action, "We are so pleased with how our teams did especially in a mixed A/AA competition. With it being so early in the season, it was a challenge to get all four routines prepared for competition but it was a great opportunity to take the floor and get the nerves out. Our JV kick and jazz squads include several new or young dancers and we're so proud of their effort in both categories. They danced with full hearts and we'll continue working on fundamentals in both categories. Our Varsity jazz routine is a different style than what the team has typically done in the past. The team is navigating this new style and how to make it their own. When looking at the average scores in this division, only 2.6 points separated 2nd-6th place which tells you how close that division was. Our Varsity kick team put out a very solid routine and was rewarded 3rd. place out of nine teams, outpacing four AA teams as well as two of our section competitors which was a big accomplishment. Our team was thrilled to hear our name called during the award ceremony." St. Francis won the JV Jazz and also won first place in the JV Kick. C-I was first in the Varsity Jazz and they also picked up first place in the Varsity Kick as well. What's up for next week Coach Christensen, "This next week we will focus on improving technique and execution of all routines as we prepare for Saturdays competition at Pequot Lakes." 

      The season begins in earnest for the Aitkin Dance Team this Saturday in Brainerd. Head Coach Colleen Christensen is eager for competition to start. What are your expectations for the new season? "I expect this season to be a year of change and a turning point for the All Starz. The team has been through a number of coaches in the past few years and there can be some apprehension when it comes to change. My hope is that the team, the parents and the community can see that change can be a good thing. My approach to the program is different from what has been done in the past. We have implemented the notion of "One Team""-all athletes regardless of the grade level or ability are on the same team. We practice Monday through Friday and begin each practice with mental work and intension setting, followed by a team warm-up led by that days pod leader. Then we split into JV and Varsity squads for routine choreography based on skill level. We believe by following the same guidelines, working together and supporting one another, we are creating inclusive family-atmosphere which makes us all stronger. our overall expectation is to revitalize the dance program at AHS and create a culture that student-athletes desire to be a part of. For the first time in program history, all of the coaches are All Starz alumni and we are all passionately committed to the success of this program." Are the numbers for the program where you want them to be? "In dance team there is a benefit to having a large number of athletes on the floor especially in the high kick category as more dancers can result in increased formation complexity, visual effectiveness, use of floor and group work which are all elements on our score sheet. This season we have a total of 16 dancers in our program. There are 11 athletes on our Varsity kick squad, 5 on JV kick, 7 on Varsity jazz and and 9 on JV jazz. We are small, but mighty. We are using our athletes strategically in our routine development in an effort to achieve high marks in all of the score sheet categories. We do hope to increase participation numbers year over year and build the program back up to where we can field a B-Squad as well. We are thrilled that Just for Kix is back in Aitkin with Kristi VanCamp at the helm developing a strong feeder program for the All Starz." Is getting to the State a real possibility this season? "In order to get to the State Tournament a team must place in the top three in their Section Tournament. Aitkin is in Section 4A and last year the team places 4th in Kick and 5th in Jazz. We cannot anticipate this years results based on last years finish especially since there are a few teams in 4A with new coaches and everyone is hungry for those top spots. However I do think we have a real shot at taking home hardware in Section 4 this year. With my nearly  20 years of judging experience I know exactly what we have to do to work the score sheet to our advantage and get every extra point possible to make this goal a reality. We have extremely driven kids and coaches who are laser-focused on the goal of getting to the State in both Kick and Jazz this year." The first step is Saturday in Brainerd at the Paul Bunyan Invitational. As we all know sometimes the toughest step is the first one. Look for good things from this team!

       The public is invited to a kick preview on Thursday at 7pm at the Bailey gym. This event is free of charge and an opportunity to showcase the JV and Varsity kick routines. Just for Kix will be performing their holiday routines that night. Friday there will be a preview of the JV and Varsity jazz routines. This event is also free at 7pm at the Bailey gym. Doors open in Brainerd at 9:15 with competition beginning at 10:00.

        Senior Hannah Jones is always doing something no matter what the season. She just finished volleyball and is already into the dance season. It's a quick transition from one to another and you have to wonder how you go from being a "kill" specialist to the elegance and precise movements of high kick dance routines. Jones has her perspective, "The transition from volleyball to dance can be a bit difficult at times. I would say that playing volleyball brings out an aggressive side of my athleticism and dance is the opposite although I do see myself being very similar in both sports. Dance is both elegant and emotional but also sharp and hard hitting. Being one who doesn't like to waste time and wants to do things to the max I feel that is the volleyball side of me coming out in dance" Now that the dance season is here how does the second year captain feel about her team and her role, "As well as being a senior I am looked at for one of the main leadership roles on the team. This means girls can always come to me for help on skills or just count an 8 count for them to hit the right moves. I enjoy being in this role lots as I have such a big passion for helping people." She has some definite thoughts on this years team, "This is another season of change for the Aitkin Dance Team. I am excited for this change and believe it will help the program. I think that this season we are just trying to get our name back out there and show that we can still compete. Coming in 4th at the Section last year I can tell that the team really wants to make it to the Target Center floor. But this work isn't going to come lightly and there is lots of work that is needed to reach this goal. I think this is going to be a good season for the All-Starz and I'm excited to see what the season is going to bring."  

     The season got underway today for the Aitkin Dance Team. It won't be long until their first competition.

       The Aitkin All Starz Dance Team has had a storied and successful history over the past forty years. Their first State hardware came in 2001 when they won the title in High Kick Precision. They followed that up with another Championship in High Kick in 2003 and another in 2004. There was a brief lull that ended in 2010 and started a run of titles not often seen in Minnesota history. They won the High Kick in 2010, then in 2012 they captured the first ever double dip. grabbing both the High Kick and the Jazz title in the same year. In 2014 they began a run of four straight titles in High Kick, adding another Jazz title in 2017 as well. They picked up more hardware with 3rd. place finishes in 2018 and 2019 and they are poised to make another run soon. When you total those Championships up it comes to nine High Kick State titles and two Jazz crowns. That’s impressive to say the least. There is no reason to think those totals won’t start adding up in the near future.