Tuesday, February 14, 2012

State Girls’ Dance Team Tournament

All six championship teams return to defend their titles at the 2012 State Girls’ Dance Team Tournament. The Divas of Marshall School of Duluth are the only team seeking a sixth consecutive title. They won the Class A Jazz titles in 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, and 2011. The other five returning champions are all looking for their second consecutive titles.

The 16th Minnesota State High School League tournament for dance teams, which features squads from 47 schools, will be held at Target Center in Minneapolis. The Jazz dancers will compete on Friday, Feb. 17, and the High Kick competition is set for Saturday, Feb. 18.

The 2012 tournament will actually be the 38th state competition for dance teams. Until 1997 the previous events were conducted by the Minnesota Association of Dancelines, later renamed the Minnesota Association of Dance Teams. The Minnesota State High School League added girls’ dance team as a sponsored athletic activity in March 1996. Although sponsored by the League as an athletic activity, individual schools’ girls’ dance teams must meet stringent federal Title IX guidelines to be considered a sport.

An all-tournament team will again be named at this year’s tournament. Twelve students will be chosen from each class in each division — Jazz and High Kick. The awards will be presented during the championship award ceremonies.

High Kick Division

All three of the 2011 champions will try to defend their titles in the High Kick category: Cannon Falls in Class A, Sartell-St. Stephen in Class AA, and Eastview of Apple Valley in Class AAA. Of the 2011 finalists, 17 return to compete in the High Kick category.

Class A Qualifiers: (Section 1) Cannon Falls, Lake City, and Dover-Eyota; (Section 2) Aitkin, Marshall School of Duluth, and Mayer Lutheran; (Section 3) Yellow Medicine East of Granite Falls, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd, and BOLD of Olivia; (Section 4) Pelican Rapids, Bagley, and Crosby-Ironton.

Class AA Qualifiers: (Section 1) Chaska, Austin, and Faribault, which also includes students from Bethlehem Academy of Faribault; (Section 2) Totino-Grace of Fridley, Fridley, and Hill-Murray of Maplewood; (Section 3) Marshall, Waconia, and Hutchinson; (Section 4) St. Cloud Cathedral, Sartell-St. Stephen, and Sauk Rapids-Rice.

Class AAA Qualifiers: (Section 1) Apple Valley, Eastview of Apple Valley, and Burnsville; (Section 2) Wayzata, Hopkins, and Eden Prairie; (Section 3) Centennial of Circle Pines, Spring Lake Park, and Eagan; (Section 4) St. Cloud Tech, Blaine which includes students from Legacy Christian Academy of Andover, and Brainerd, which includes students from Pillager.

Jazz Division

The Divas of Marshall School of Duluth are in the hunt for their sixth consecutive Class A Jazz title. Benilde-St. Margaret’s of St. Louis Park and Maple Grove also return to defend their Class AA and Class AAA titles, respectively. Overall, 17 finalists from 2011 return to compete in the 2012 tournament.

Class A Qualifiers: (Section 1) Cannon Falls, St. Charles, and Zumbrota-Mazeppa; (Section 2) Marshall School of Duluth, Aitkin, and Mayer Lutheran; (Section 3) Yellow Medicine East of Granite Falls, Lac qui Parle Valley/Dawson-Boyd, and Renville County West; (Section 4) Pelican Rapids, Frazee, and Crosby-Ironton.

Class AA Qualifiers: (Section 1) Benilde-St. Margaret’s of St. Louis Park, Chaska, and Simley of Inver Grove Heights; (Section 2) Totino-Grace of Fridley, Duluth Denfeld, and Fridley; (Section 3) Mound-Westonka, Marshall, and Holy Family Catholic of Victoria; (Section 4) St. Cloud Cathedral, Sartell-St. Stephen, and Sauk Rapids-Rice.

Class AAA Qualifiers: (Section 1) Eastview of Apple Valley, Lakeville North, and Burnsville; (Section 2) Wayzata, Maple Grove, and Eden Prairie; (Section 3) Eagan, Spring Lake Park, and Centennial of Circle Pines; (Section 4) St. Cloud Tech, Blaine, which includes students from Legacy Christian Academy of Andover, and Brainerd, which includes students from Pillager.

Scoring

Judges observe the routines and award points on a 100-point scale. Judging criteria are subdivided into four categories. The three common categories of criteria are: 1) Presentation; 2) Execution; and 3) Choreography. The fourth category is unique for each type of dance. In the High Kick division the judges look for straight backs and legs, pointed feet, uniform height and place of kicks, level hips, foot placement, and arm connections. In the Jazz category judges are looking for rotation timing and completion, posture, difficulty of skills, and flexibility movements.

Point values in each of the five judging criteria are awarded as follows: 9-10 for Excellent; 7-8 for Above Average; 5-6 for Average; and 3-4 for Below Average. After the qualifying competition for each type of dance in each class, six finalists are announced and those teams compete again to determine the state champion.

Tournament Schedule
Friday, Feb. 17 — Jazz
Noon-1:30 p.m. Class A Qualifying Competition
1:45 p.m. Class A Finalists Announced
2:15-4:30 p.m. Class AA and Class AAA Qualifying Competition
4:45 p.m. Class AA Finalists Announced
5:00 p.m. Class AAA Finalists Announced
5:45 p.m. Class A Finals and Awards Presentations
7:15 p.m. Class AA and Class AAA Finals and Awards Presentations

Saturday, Feb. 18 — High Kick
Noon-1:30 p.m. Class A Qualifying Competition
1:45 p.m. Class A Finalists Announced
2:15-4:30 p.m. Class AA and Class AAA Qualifying Competition
4:45 p.m. Class AA Finalists Announced
5:00 p.m. Class AAA Finalists Announced
5:45 p.m. Class A Finals and Awards Presentations
7:15 p.m. Class AA and Class AAA Finals and Awards Presentations

Tickets for the 2012 State Girls’ Dance Team Tournament will be available at the Target Center box office beginning at 10 a.m. each day. Adult tickets cost $14 and student tickets cost $9.

A visit to any area Wells Fargo bank can yield a $2 discount coupon for students 13 and younger. The discount coupons are also available for the following tournaments: Girls’ Gymnastics, Girls’ Hockey, Class A Boys’ Hockey, and Girls’ and Boys’ Basketball.

Live Webcast

The entire tournament will be webcast live and free at Prep45.com. Advisor Aric Harrier of New London-Spicer and advisor Cary Hagrud of Pelican Rapids will be bringing students to do this year’s webcast.

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