Spartans Dance Team Advances to 12th Straight State Tournament

Superior will compete in two different categories on Saturday night in La Crosse.

SUPERIOR, Wis. – The Superior dance team is headed back to state this weekend, and they’re doing something not many other programs have done. This week’s competition will be the Spartans 12th straight trip to state.

“12 years, like, I don’t know how many teams go to State 12 consecutive and it’s really exciting,” Superior assistant coach Brooke Keeler said.

“We all just, our hearts stopped and we got up and we were just screaming and yelling and the adrenaline just ran through us,” junior dancer Kaiden Johnson said of the moment they placed at regionals last weekend.

But the road back to state wasn’t the easiest. The Spartans have a smaller team this year with just 11 dancers and only one senior on the team but they’re ready to use their youth and their size to their advantage.

“I’m also sad because it’s going to be my last year and I’m really going to miss the team, it’s been my family for the past four years,” senior dancer Elisa Blank said.

“We’re dancing 11 in both kick and hip hop and I don’t know if we’ve ever had that little of a team. And when you go to competitions, most teams have way over 20 out there so it can kind of be intimidating but it doesn’t even phase them. And they’ve taken in on as a challenge and they dance like there’s 100 of them out there,” Keeler said.

The Spartans have also added challenges to their routines, dancing hip hop for the first time and will be performing that and kick at state this weekend.

“They’re both centered around women empowerment. Our kick dance is Rosie the Riveter,” Keller said.

“I think it’s kind of a cool theme that we’re doing. I think it’s something that a lot of people haven’t seen,” Blank said.

And while they’re still searching their first state title, the outcome isn’t important to the Spartans. They’re just ready to go out there and dance.

“With 11 of them, to win state, that would be fantastic but just for them to leave their heart out on the floor and to be so happy with what they did,” Keller said.

Superior will compete Saturday night at the Wisconsin Association of Cheer and Pom/Coaches State Dance Championships in La Crosse.