By Ava Nicols
Sports Editor
Costa dance team took the stage on Oct. 2 at the Manhattan Beach 50th Annual Hometown Fair. The dancers performed a new routine, showcasing their hard work to the Manhattan Beach community.
“This performance is a super fun dance team tradition, and I’m so happy to keep it going,” senior captain Sam Gin said. “We had to prepare for this routine by redoing the formations, remixing the music, and changing some of the choreography.”
Both varsity and JV Dance performed in the Joslyn Center at 2 p.m. As it was the final day of the fair, the performance attracted a large crowd, filling all the seats while the remaining guests stood in the back.
“The whole team was excited to see the packed audience,” junior Jenna Walter said. “We had learned some of these dances over the summer, so it was great to show them off. Making sure that everyone knows they are welcome is a huge aspect of our team’s culture.”
In addition to its performance, the team ran a sandbox scavenger hunt booth. It attracted a younger audience, extending the team’s outreach to all ages, especially aspiring young dancers.
“There were a lot of middle school girls there who were nervous about high school, and having something to be a part of or look forward to allows them to feel more comfortable in a huge new environment,” junior McKenzie Krauch said. “On top of that, having so many people representing Costa Dance at a popular local event like the Hometown Fair is great for our team.”
Because of the smaller venue, the team was split into four separate groups when performing, all with different routines; three had jazz dances and one had hip hop. This was an adjustment for the dancers as they are used to dancing on a much larger stage in front of a big audience, such as during halftime at the Costa football games.
“Practicing for the Hometown Fair definitely took some extra time, but we managed it pretty well and were also able to practice other dances for the football games,” junior Whitney Marsh said. “The performance was different because the space at the Hometown was a lot smaller than the field at Costa.”
The dance team performed at the Costa Homecoming pep rally on Oct. 14, as well as before the football game later that night. According to Walter, the team will learn one or two more dances in preparation for the upcoming basketball season.
“Having a connection within the team is a crucial part because everyone is performing together,” Krauch said. “I love supporting all the different Costa sports and performing for my community at local events.”
Leave a Reply