Bengalettes take final step to state

By Jason Olson
SportsPrepZone Editor

Blaine 's dance team is again state tournament bound, like it has been each year since sections came into existence in 2000. The top three-teams from each style move on to the state meet (Feb. 12-13 at Xcel Energy Center in St. Paul).

The Bengalettes  won the Section 4AAA Jazz Funk title, edging Anoka and Brainerd, but finished, fourth, one spot out of qualifying for state in high kick, despite a unique approach. Elk River captured the high kick title with Brainerd and St. Cloud Tech also moving on to state.

Anoka placed fifth in high kick, two spots out of state contention.

The section results came nearly a month after the Northwest Suburban Conference crowned Maple Grove overall champions, followed by Blaine and Elk River. Blaine was runner-up in jazz funk, followed by the Elks while the two teams flipped spots in high kick.

Fellow section foe St. Francis placed fifth in the North Suburban Conference finals high kick. Spring Lake Park won jazz funk and Totino-Grace took the high kick title.

Blaine performed its jazz funk routine to Train's hit, "Calling All Angels" and the high kick routine gave fans baseball fever, performing to the John Foggerty hit "Centerfield" in full baseball attire with caps, pants and even stir-ups.

The section championship dance provided motivation each day to the performers. "One phrase says 'I won't give up, if you don't give up,' we used that to motivate the team. As a team you have to work together and if one person gives up, it will affect the whole team. It has to be everyone putting in 100 percent. So the words in the song can really help the dancers to have strong performances," said Blaine coach Trina Develice.

She said both dances served their respective purpose. "Song choice is one of the hardest decisions. They have to be something that the dancers can get into and something that will draw in interest from spectators and judges," she said the process was a mix of listening to songs then narrowing the choices down by choreographing each song to find the perfect fit.

The last few years many teams have picked themes for their high kick choices. "It helps in the creative category under choreography. We thought baseball would be a fun one," she said. "'Centerfield' is a fun song and is also the one the spectators know and can get into."

The result was, "One of the strongest kick routines we have had," Develice said. "Our section is very tough, sometimes there are teams who are strong who don't advance because only the top three advance in each category and we were fourth."

Other area programs: Andover placed seventh in high kick, eighth in jazz funk; Coon Rapids 10th in jazz funk, 11th in high kick; St. Francis ninth in high kick, 11th in jazz funk.


Jason Olson is at jason.olson@ecm-inc.com.