By Sabrina Michael ’13

This year was a dream year for us as the 2011-2012 dance team, and it defied all of our expectations. From the beginning of summer during camp and practices, there was something special about our interactions with each other.  We supported each other through everything that went on in our lives inside and outside the dance room. This aspect of the team changed everything, especially our dancing. We drove each other, we breathed together, we sensed each other’s presence through our dance movements in a sort of out of body experience, and we lived each dance as if it was a real moment in our lives.

One of the dances we brought to U.S. Finals was a Haunted Mansion-themed hip hop routine to Deadmau5’s Ghosts n Stuff.  Our routine earned us a score of 92.7 out of 100, which beat out 25 All-Star hip hop crews from around the U.S. and ranked us #1 in the country.

I remember sitting in the old dance room at the Fine Arts Building before the Tutor Center was completed, closing my eyes and just listening to the song for the first time. I could feel the anticipation and excitement as all of us grooved and looked at each other with smiles from ear to ear. We heard the Haunted Mansion sound effects like screams and verses from the Disneyland ride and practically lost it (all of us are obsessed with Disney by the way). We knew right then and there that this routine was going to be fantastic.   After a competition held at Disneyland, we went to the park and went on the Haunted Mansion ride together. As soon as the ghostly voice said, “Welcome foolish mortals to the Haunted Mansion,” our whole team recited it for everyone on the ride. Despite our obvious love of this routine and concept, we brought something distinct to the table; with our white-painted faces, black eyes, crazy hair, and unique choreography, we were the exact opposite of the regular cookie cutter dance ensembles.

Our ability to work as a team and be a family is what made this year’s dance team one to remember and one not to forget. We skyrocketed to a national level in two out of three categories, and we defended our National Hip Hop title from last year. We ranked #1 in two All-Star divisions, a first in Chaminade history. This team has been a major stepping stone has set the standard high for years to come.