The Clayton Ridge Drill Team will present their annual Season Showcase on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 2 p.m., in the Guttenberg Gym. The show will feature over a dozen performances by the team as well as guest performances by the Clayton Ridge Cheer Team and soloists from Expressions Dance Studio. Family, friends and the public are invited to attend and celebrate the hard work the team has put in this season. Admission to the show is $5 and limited concessions will be available.

The team kicked off their season with practices starting in the summer to prepare them for their community performances at the Garnavillo Fourth of July Celebration, Guttenberg Stars & Stripes Celebration and Elkader Sweet Corn Days Celebration. During the fall, the team performed pre-game and halftime shows at home football games as well as showcased their talents at the Guttenberg GermanFest and Plagman Barn Show Days. The athletes also volunteered at Plagman Barn Show Days in the saloon selling soda.

In August, seven dancers from the team traveled to Berg Middle School in Newton to represent their team at the All-Iowa Honor Dance Team auditions. Dancers who auditioned included Britany Arce, Claire Brandt, Delaney Brown, Kailey Dempster, Caylee Rohner, Erika Sarazua and Paige Thomas.

Over 500 dancers audition for the 200 coveted positions on the team each year, with 110 high schools represented this season. Freshman Delaney Brown said what stood out to her most was the atmosphere of the experience. “The positive energy from all the other dancers radiated throughout the day. Even at times when it was stressful or nerve wracking, the people in my group made things seem easier,” Brown said.

Dancers selected to represent the Clayton Ridge Drill Team as part of the All-Iowa Dance Team performance at the Iowa Girls High School State Basketball Tournament this March include Kailey Dempster and Caylee Rohner in the pre-game performance, Britany Arce in the halftime performance and Erika Sarazua as an alternate.

While All-Iowa highlighted individual achievement, the team’s attention soon shifted back to their shared goal: preparing for the Iowa State Dance & Drill Team Competition in Des Moines.

The Iowa State Dance & Drill Team Competition takes place each year at the Casey’s Center and EMC Expo Center, formerly Wells Fargo Arena and Hy-Vee Hall, in Des Moines. This year marked a significant milestone for the organization as they celebrated their 50th contest.

ISDTA Executive Director Andrea Dana said the goal of this year’s event was to, “Honor not only the thousands of dancers who have performed on this floor, but the teachers, coaches, judges and parents who built this strong and vibrant community where Iowa dance teams have continued to set the standard for excellence, creativity and sportsmanship over the last fifty years.”

The Iowa State Dance & Drill Team Contest is one of the largest of its kind in the nation. This year, more than 270 high school and college dance teams—made up of over 5,000 dancers—competed over 600 routines in 14 different categories, including pom, hip hop, jazz, lyrical, contemporary, military, kick, hoopla, lights, novelty, prop, color guard, co-ed and M.I.X. Categories are separated into classes based on school enrollment.

The Clayton Ridge Drill Team competed in Military Class I and Prop Class I. Performers earned points for choreography, execution, difficulty and showmanship, with judging conducted by dance professionals from across the United States.

The military category focuses on sharp, precise and strong movements with control and focus throughout the entire body. The emphasis is on formation changes, visual effects, coordination of body movement, footwork as well as arm and hand sequences through dynamic, military-style movement. The team received a Division I rating and placed fourth.

The prop category highlights creativity, originality and visual impact, with an emphasis on continuous and effective use of the prop throughout the routine. Teams are judged on formation changes, synchronization, spacing and overall showmanship. The team received a Division I rating and placed third.

The team was also recognized for their academic excellence, receiving an Outstanding Academic Award for maintaining a cumulative team GPA of 3.91—placing them among the top 16 high school dance teams in the state of Iowa.

Senior Allysa Sadewasser said she was proud of both the team’s competitive and academic success this season. “Bringing home two trophies from state was really exciting, but I’m just as proud of how hard we worked in the classroom. It shows how committed everyone is on and off the floor,” Sadewasser said.

Team members are also involved in a wide range of school activities, including band, choir, show choir, FCCLA, FBLA, FFA, student senate and theater, with many holding leadership roles within those organizations while also balancing part-time jobs, dual credit college classes and additional extracurricular activities outside of school.

This season’s team saw an increase in numbers with 14 dancers, doubling last year’s seven. With more than half of the team being first-year members, building foundation technique and skills was a priority.

Junior Britany Arce said she is proud of the growth she saw within the group. “The team grew a bunch this year, especially in their confidence. I’m proud and thankful I got to lead such a great team filled with so many personalities,” Arce said.

With the added numbers came increased difficulty and visual impact in the routines. Sophomore Erika Sarazua said the larger team has made performances more dynamic. “We are able to add tricks, more creative formations and create better visuals,” Sarazua said.

Head coach Kaitlyn Kuehl-Berns said dance presents a unique challenge for athletes. “It is a unique sport because there are no time outs, next games or subbing someone out if they’re having an off day. The girls are expected to execute the routines perfectly while also entertaining the crowd with their confidence and showmanship,” she said.

Kuehl-Berns said creating a positive and consistent team culture has been just as important as competitive success.

“A priority of mine has been to continue the traditions and build a team culture where the girls feel supported, challenged and proud to represent Clayton Ridge,” Kuehl-Berns said.

“The rookies on this year’s team were all in from the first practice. Whether it was challenging themselves in routines, stepping outside their comfort zone or representing the team positively, they embraced the experience,” she added.

Kuehl-Berns also highlighted the impact of this year’s team leaders, Allysa Sadewasser, Britany Arce, Claire Brandt, Kailey Dempster and Erika Sarazua. “They have provided a consistent example of leadership, work ethic and encouragement. They support their teammates on and off the floor,” she said.

Junior Claire Brandt said one of her favorite parts of being on the team is the connection built throughout the season. “We get so close as a team over the months and become like sisters,” Brandt said.

She added that some of her favorite memories came from working with the leadership group. “My favorite memory was when we would get together as leaders to choreograph routines and mess around with new moves,” she said.

After the competition season, the team shifted their focus to preparing performances for home basketball games, all of which will again be performed at the team’s Season Showcase.

Sophomore Erika Sarazua said she is looking forward to performing the season’s routines one more time. “I’m most excited to do my favorite routines again and do all the fun routines,” she said.

Brandt said the showcase is both meaningful and exciting. “It is a way to show off all our hard work from the season and go out with a bang. It’s so much fun, but it’s also a really emotional day because we are saying ‘goodbye’ to our graduating members,” she said.

Freshman member Olivia Chambers said the season was both challenging and rewarding. “Our performances were always exciting and nerve wracking at the same time, but I was always excited to perform with the girls I’ve grown such a close bond with,” she said.

Several first-year members also said their favorite memories came from bonding at state, especially spending time together in the hotel and on the bus ride to Des Moines.

Kuehl-Berns also credited the team’s families for their support throughout the season. “Our parents are a huge part of what makes this program successful—from helping with hair and makeup, providing rides, supporting the girls emotionally and financially and cheering them on in the stands. We truly couldn’t do this without them,” she said.

The team’s complete line-up for the day includes their military and prop competition routines, class routines choreographed by each age grade level, three pom performances, a leader routine and their fun routines including moms, dads, siblings, co-ed, junior high and Stretch-n-Strut. Performances by Expressions Dance Studio, the Clayton Ridge Cheer Team and a routine by Clayton Ridge Drill Team alumni will also be showcased.