Tigers kick up a storm at state dance competition

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The New Richmond High School dance team tied for fourth place in the kick division of the 2009 WACPC State Dance Championships on Saturday in La Crosse.

The fourth place finish is the best placing ever for a New Richmond team at the state dance championships, according to coach Alli Gjovik.

The Tigers tied with Grafton for fourth place in the Division 2 kick competition. Both teams finished with 414 points, one point behind third place Little Chute. West DePere won the Division 2 state kick title.

New Richmond also competed in the Division 2 jazz competition at state. In their first year competing in the jazz division, the Tigers took eighth among 13 teams at state with a 345 score.

Gjovik said the girls performed exceptionally well under the pressure of a state meet.

“We have two minutes to prove to the judges what our team is about,” she said. “I feel they were very on. They danced as a team.”

There are a number of requirements for a kick routine. The main one is that 50 kicks from each girls in unison must be included as part of the routine.

“I feel the girls this year have set a different standard. They look like a team, they look classy,” Gjovik said.

The Tigers qualified for state by winning the kick division at the WACPC Western Regional at Eau Claire North the previous Saturday. The Tigers scored a 451 with their kick routine, the highest score earned in any event or any division at the meet.

Anderson is all-state

New Richmond senior Abbie Anderson took on an extra competition at the state meet. She was one of 45 girls to compete for 11 positions on the all-state team. With her solo routine, Anderson earned one of those 11 places on the all-state team.

“Abbie was real nervous, but she went out and nailed it,” Gjovik said. “Abbie does a phenomenal job of being able to express every move, where people feel it.”

Anderson did her own choreography for her routine and selected her music.

Tags: new richmond high school dance team, sports