Athletes dance the night away
Starr’s Mill dance team fundraiser Dancing with the Pantherettes was held in Duke Auditorium. Contestants prepared for two weeks prior to the event.
Last night, the Starr’s Mill dance team hosted the annual Dancing with the Pantherettes in Duke Auditorium. Several of Starr’s Mill athletes joined the dance team members in the competition.
“[Dancing with the Pantherettes] was a great night,” sophomore swimmer Aiden Hammond said. “It was a great experience all around.”
Dance is a year-round sport, involving constant coaching, training, practicing, and fundraising to sustain the team. Dancing with the Pantherettes is one of the fundraisers the dance team holds to help the team travel throughout the season.
The dance team presented dance performances with 15 athletes from various sports. Each team performed to different kinds of music and held a surprise performance at the end for the audience.
“I thought that it [Dancing with the Pantherettes] was really fun,” dance team co-captain Gracen O’Neal said. “I think it is really cool that the guys get into it.”
The top three teams were announced at the end along with the People’s Choice Award. Awardees included:
People’s Choice Award – sophomore Somaiya Curwen and senior Michael Burnett
1st place – junior Riley Mitchell and senior Noah Pavel
2nd place – freshman Haley Perini and senior Jimmy Pecoraro
3rd place – sophomore Somaiya Curwen and senior Michael Burnett
“I thought the dancers and the male athletes were amazing,” competition judge and psychology teacher Sean Hickey said. “I saw a lot of creativity and courage tonight.”
The dance team travels to compete in the Smokey Mountain Christmas Dance Championship on Dec. 1. Also, this year, the team will attend the first GHSA invitational held Feb. 16 at Jonesboro.