APPLE VALLEY, Minn. — Last weekend, the Eastview High School gym transformed into a stage where hundreds of high school dancers could compete for the title of Miss Dance Team Minnesota.
One of the dancers who participated was Haley Ritter, a senior at Maple Grove High School. She gave it her all for the last time after competing in this gym every year since she was eight years old.
“I just want to show how much I’ve improved as a dancer, and I feel like this competition has given me so much confidence over the years,” Ritter said.
Growth is one gift from this competition, but recognition is another. Brooklyn Alstead, a 10th grader at Wayzata High School, won first place in her age category for the second time and says winning has a big impact.
“My name is getting out there and people are starting to recognize me and that’s a big thing,” Alstead said.
Jenny Raiche is director of the Miss Dance Team Minnesota competition, which began in 2002 to give high school dancers a chance to shine as soloists, and not just as team members.
“In other sports you have Mr. Hockey or Ms. Basketball,” Raiche said, “so we wanted to create a platform for dancers in Minnesota to represent their high school teams as individuals.”
When Raiche held her first Miss Dance Team Minnesota competition, only 40 dancers competed. Today, 270 dancers from more than 50 high schools are represented. There is also a much larger audience of supporters, but more importantly, college coaches.
“Minnesota is a hotbed of talent when it comes to dance, and that’s why coaches from all over the country are looking. Are these the best kids in Minnesota? Because if they do well in this competition, it’s probably a kid they are going to look for their team,” Raiche said.
Last year’s Miss Dance Team did Emma Le of Burnsville. She is proof of the greater prize that comes from this competition.
“The title is very nice. I wear it with pride,” said Le.
Although Le’s Burnsville dance team did not make it to the state tournament her senior year, this competition gave her another chance to shine. She was then recruited to the highly decorated dance team at the University of Minnesota, where she is currently in her rookie season.
“It doesn’t matter what school you come from, where you come from, the wealth of your family. You just have to work hard, put your full passion into it, and you can get where you want to be,” Le said.
The top dancers from this competition may also compete at the national level this spring as “Team Minnesota.”
