Star Steppers won a competition Feb. 11 at Westwood High School. The dancers competed in jazz and an optional contemporary dance. The team took home a win with first place in both of the dances in which they competed.

“We worked so hard for months, and it’s very exciting to compete together and bond as a team after hours spent at contest,” sophomore Representative Allison Hanzlik said. “It was also really exciting to win first in both dances.”

The dancers worked on jazz every day for two months during regular rehearsal, while contemporary rehearsed every Tuesday and Thursday during lunches. Despite all the hard work, the team had a lot of fun in practice every day together knowing they were getting better as a team.

“Dance is definitely always on my mind as competition approaches,” head representative senior Claire Zurovec said. “It was more exciting than stressful. I felt like we were in an excellent place for competition. The most fun part was watching it all come together. Whether it’s a dance or the team [coming together], it’s really cool to see the progress of Star Steppers.”

Competition may be a scary and stressful time for the teachers and dancers, but it’s very beneficial for the team.

“The team bonding and helping each other get ready to perform [is the best part of contest],” sophomore Sofia Olsson said. “It’s also really fun to watch our classmates on Hyline perform and compete.”