From perspective of Lancerette: what it’s like to qualify for Disney
The Lancerettes proudly pose behind their hard earned trophies. Top row (from left to right): Isabella Weber (‘22), Libby Richter (‘22), Melissa Fairbanks (‘22), Raina Rogne (‘22), Lily Tull (‘22), Ava Miller (‘22), Malia McBath (‘22). Second row: Kacey Stewart (‘21), Mary Falvey (‘21), Macayla Portz (‘21), Maddie Anderson (‘21), Mai Liu (‘22). Third row: Taryn Leadtke (‘21), Sophie Latona (‘20), Cristina Casale (‘20), Abby Manby (‘20), Isabella Orgeman (‘20), Anna Peterson (‘21). Bottom row: Lauren Hugo (‘20), Coraline Tollar (‘20), Hannah Hawthorne (‘19), Makenna Lemke (‘19), Macy Oleszczuk (‘19), McKenna Popek (‘20), Sydney Smith (‘20).
Every year, the Lancerettes biggest goal of the summer season is to qualify for Disney! A lot of people don’t realize that we dance almost year round since we start practice in June. We practice Monday through Thursday, from 8-11. It takes so much work to create our routines, and it certainly isn’t as easy as it looks when they’re done. This season is different in particular, since we went from having 11 great senior leaders down to only 3, however we aren’t going to let that bring us down!
This year I’m going to be one of seven other juniors on the team. Our grade went from being young, quiet sophomores to stepping up our game this year as we help lead the whole team with choreographing and cleaning up the routines. Dance is a very hard sport because we have to work together to ensure that every single dancer has the exact same movement at the exact same second, and try to make it all look good! Let me tell you, it is very difficult!
Our first big event of the summer is camp. Camp is when different teams come together for 4 days, dancing for 10 hours a day, learning football routines, while also competing with the routines that we brought from home. It consists of many days of being super sweaty for hours upon hours, dancing your hardest, and feeling very sore, but it’s all worth it when we get to Midwest.
wIt is always so hard to explain the importance of the Midwest Grand Championships to the new members, because Disney is not handed to us every year and we have to make our way to one of the top 10 spots. I remember my freshmen year, I had no idea how big of a deal it was until we made it and it was the best feeling ever. The seniors this year were so passionate about making it, and they wanted it so bad for all of us. Without our captains, Makenna, Hannah, and Macy, we wouldn’t be where we are today. We completed five different routines which all matter equally. Since it takes so much time and effort for just one routine, we had so much to do between camp and Midwest. Our team was very nervous and we had no idea how the results were gonna turn out. We all did our absolute best, performed great, and really loved dancing and that is all we could ask for. Disney was still in the back of all of our minds: we wanted it so bad!
At the end of the weekend when we heard Makenna, Hannah and Macy called up, we knew! Disney here we come!! It was truly the best feeling in the world to see them up there starting to tear up because they were so proud and excited. Our whole team sitting on the floor starting to hug each other, I looked around and not a single person didn’t have a smile on their face. Happiness filled the air and this was the best way to end the weekend! All of those hard practices where we kept pushing and all of the extra hours we put in after every single practice along with the effort that every single person gave is the reason that we accomplished what we did. It is a great feeling to head into our football and basketball season with such a great end result of our summer season.
