By: Maddy Terril
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (UATV)- The Fayetteville High School (FHS) dance team finished their competition season Sunday, Feb. 2, when the team took fourth place in the nation in the Division 1 Hip Hop category. The team has had a strong season coming out of it with a 6A State Championship under their belt and now a top-five placing at the national stage.
The FHS team competed at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Fla. Being in a different state made the team want to show what Arkansas is made of.
“It’s just giving us a lot of hope proving what Arkansas dance is because no one has really seen it before,” Head Coach Elizabeth Gammil said. Gammil encouraged her team to act like they’ve won state and to bring that momentum into nationals.
Arkansas pride was at the forefront of this team’s motivation to prove themselves in the Sunshine State.
“We really just want to represent our state and represent at the highest level on the national stage at ESPN,” Gammil said. The win at home gave the athletes the confidence they needed to show out. “It really just gave them validation and hope,”
While the team is pleased to walk away with a trophy from the weekend, senior dancer Audrey Whitehead, has gotten much more from dance. “I think I wouldn’t be who I am today without dance,” Whitehead said, “performing has just made me who I am.”
These athletes and coaches have spent countless hours spanning over months of work to bring these routines to life. The practices included tedious work cleaning the routines. One 15 second segment of a number could take up to 30 minutes to clean. Without the dedication, a win like this would not be possible.
“To have these young ladies dance seven days a week, they come in and work in the mornings, sometimes in the afternoon. And they truly are an embodiment of dedication and sacrifice and grit,” Gammil said.
While the team may be getting the accolades, Gammil views coaching as the biggest reward. “This truly is a dream job. I was a college dancer. I grew up in the studio. And and to get to live out my dream job and then see them be successful, it really just is why it keeps me going and keeps me hungry and keeps me excited for the future,” Gammil said.
Gammil shared the word “gratitude” as one she would use to describe her team. “They were so grateful to be the state champions, and they’re grateful to travel to Orlando, and they’re grateful to dance on a national stage,” Gammil said. This gratitude from the young women was evident in their practice, taking every correction as fuel to get better and encouraging each other through it all.
The team’s hard work paid off, and now they are approaching the end of their season in March. For now, the team will continue to perform at various winter sports.