Holy Spirit Dance Team gallery below.
OCEAN CITY — Sunday’s event at Ocean City High School was billed as the “First Annual South Jersey Dance Team Mock Competition,” meaning the organizers want it to be the first of many to increase the ranks of teams in the region and help them hone their performances.
Alyssa Morrison, coach of the OCHS dance team, welcomed the audience that packed the main bleachers inside the Dixie Howell Gymnasium. She explained the event was modeled after Universal Dance Association (UDA) competitions, even though the teams were not actually competing against one another Sunday.
She pointed out it was a crucial time in the season with the UDA Nationals in Orlando, Fla., just 18 days away.
Sunday was meant to give the dancers “valuable experience with the performance flow they’ll see on the big stage.”
Her team first went to nationals in 2023 after competing in only one UDA event and found it “quite the learning experience.” That made it a priority to get to more competitions in the weeks priors to nationals.
Her team, she said, was excited to have multiple high schools not only coming to Ocean City’s event, but also to nationals together.
Four of the schools — OCHS, Middle Township, Holy Spirit and Absegami — competed the previous weekend at the Battle of the Northeast in Oaks, Pa. They were all there Sunday, as was Lower Cape May Regional High School, with its own plans to compete on bigger stages in the future.
Morrison hopes more high schools will add competitive dance teams to their athletic programs.
The OCHS coach and dance teacher said all the performances the audience was seeing have been in a state of evolution since being created months ago. Morrison said whenever the teams take the floor, they get valuable feedback from coaches, alumni, choreographers and judges, feedback that is used to “refine and adjust their routines” as they prep for nationals.
She thanked judges Alanna Palombo, a 2022 St. Joseph’s University alum who captained the Division One dance team and now coaches dance; Angelica Bua, a professional dancer, choreographer, coach and educator, now an assistant coach at St. Joseph’s; and Erin Pasko, an award-winning dancer, choreographer and educator who danced professionally under Clear Talent Group and is now the head coach of the Stockton University dance team.
“While there are no awards or placements being given today,” Morrison said, “we are incredibly fortunate and grateful to have qualified evaluators with us who are providing the insight and guidance our teams need to continue perfecting their routines.
“Their expertise plays an important role in this process, and we truly appreciate the time and care they invest in our athletes.”
– STORY and PHOTOS by DAVID NAHAN/Sentinel staff
