Sidney Danz team takes third at state championships

The Sidney Red Raiders Danz Team took a third-place finish in the "High Kick" category at the 2015 Nebraska State Cheer and Dance Championships over the weekend.

Coached by Krissy Fry and Sidney Danz Team alumni Alisha Miller, the squad of 16 dancers competed in two events at the state competition that took place at the Heartland Events Center in Grand Island on Saturday. For many of the dancers, it was their first time competing at the state competition. Sidney took center stage in the Hip-Hop category for Class B as well as in the High Kick division.

"Krissy and I were both confident in the team's ability to perform well," Miller said. "We taught them everything we could and they practiced a lot. We really couldn't have asked them to perform any better at the competition."

The Raiders finished eighth in the Hip Hop category performing their "Freakshow" routine. Miller said the circus-themed, hip-hop dance was a little bit of a risk, but they wanted to give something the judges aren't used to seeing.

" I think the girls like being different from all of the other teams," Miller said.

Elkhorn South ended up taking the title in the Hip-Hop division with a score of 82.17, while Omaha Gross Catholic placed second with a 79.33 and Elkhorn was third with a score of 78.83. The judges gave Sidney's effort a 73.83.

"The hip-hop routine definitely had people talking, they were getting recognized in the spectator area for both dances," Miller said.

For the High Kick division, the Raiders kicked it up with their modernized 1920s performance, "Bang Bang." The Raiders finished with a score of 73.67 to take third place – just behind second-place Lexington and winner Scottsbluff.

Miller says she has high hopes for the upcoming dance season due to how young many of the girls on the team are this year.

"I've learned a lot about how to coach a team of this size," Miller said. "Hopefully there will be a lot of girls wanting to try out, and the veterans will try out again because there is so much talent to work with on our team already."

Miller added that the girls got inspired after performing at the state competition and are ready to work harder to learn more difficult technique and choreography.

"They have grown so much as a team," Miller said. "We are just extremely proud of how much they've improved. As a coach there's really nothing more I would ask for than having willing and able athletes to be on our team."

The 2014-15 Sidney Red Raiders Danz Team members include: Captiain Alex Manriquez, Captain Hannah Rapp, Madelyn Busskohl, Madison Couch, Shayla Domstead, Hanna Ringleman, Julia White, Sami Wamsley, Julia Evertson, Drew Stiles, Emma Tuzicka, Adriana Falcon, Megan Rapp, Devany Turner, Kristina Davis, Kollyn Weimer and Manager Alia Jones.