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The dance teams from Dripping Springs High School recently competed at the Crowdpleasers Texas State Showcase, where both teams won state championships.
The Hi-Steppers earned first-place honors in both Team Hip-Hop and Team Pom, while their officers claimed the Overall State Champion title by winning the jazz and open categories.
The Dazzlers triumphed in the Team Contemporary, Team Pom, and Team Jazz categories, and also received the prestigious Academic Award.
This followed up on a strong showing at the Crowdpleasers Regional Showcase, where both teams walked away with Grand Champion titles in their respective divisions.
The Hi-Steppers dominated by securing first-place finishes in Team Contemporary, Hip-Hop, Jazz, and Pom and recorded the highest-scoring team routine of the day. Additionally, the Hi-Steppers officers earned top honors in the Jazz, Lyrical, Open, and Small Ensemble categories.
“We’ve been working on some of these dances since May, and have put in countless practice hours,” senior Claire Echard said. “Every single one of us put blood, sweat, and tears (literally) into making those few minutes we get on the floor really count.”
Senior Kay Elliott, Hi-Steppers Captain, said that as a team, the Hi-Steppers danced the best they had ever done for their routines.
“Everyone was so committed to hitting all of their tricks and making sure to hype everyone up before we went out on the floor,” Elliott said.
Junior Stella Rios, Hi-Steppers First Lieutenant, said competing at the varsity select level is intense, and takes trust in the team.
“Dances are visual artworks and like a painting, one stray out of place stroke can ruin the illusion,” Rios said. “In order to avoid shattering the illusions of our dances, we go through a meticulous cleaning process to perfect timing, dynamics, and details of the shapes made by each motion.”
Rios said that this was the first time ever that their team had won the entire day.
“We were overwhelmed by the trophies, plaques, and banners that we carried proudly back to the bus,” Rios said. “What made it all the much better and more meaningful of a win is that Ms. Roper, our incredibly committed and kind, and also very stoic coach was in tears with the announcement of our win. She was proud of us, we were proud of us, and that was what really mattered, more than any trophy.”
The Dazzlers, the JV team, also claimed a handful of honors with first-place finishes in Team Contemporary and the Officer Trio and runner-up accolades in Team Jazz and Team Pom.
Hi-Steppers Awards Overall Grand Champion Select Team Grand Champion Medium Team Team Contemporary, 1st Place Select Medium Team Team Hip Hop, 1st Place Select Medium Team Team Jazz, 1st Place Select Medium Team Pom, 1st Place Select Medium Highest Scoring Team Routine of the Day Overall Grand Champion Select Officer Group Officer Jazz, 1st Place Select Medium Officer Group Officer Lyrical, 1st Place Select Medium Officer Group Officer Open, 1st Place Select Medium Officer Group Elite Team, 1st Place Small Ensemble Solos: Senior 1st Runner Up - Kay Elliott Junior 2nd Runner Up - Haleigh Darlington
Dazzlers Awards
Overall Grand Champion JV Team Grand Champion Large JV Team Team Contemporary, 1st Place Team Pom, 1st Runner Up Team Jazz, 1st Runner Up Officer Trio:, 1st Place Solos: Freshman 1st Runner Up - Riley Solberg Freshman 3rd Runner Up - Brinkley Zenor
