The Friday night lights are shinning in your face. You sprint out on the field and stop at the 50-yard line. Everyone on your team gets into their places. You hit your pose strong and proud to impress the crowd. The music blasts throughout the stadium. While dancing the crowd goes wild, cheering on your team. The music comes to a halt and you stop in your final pose. Adrenaline flows throughout your body. You feel alive doing what you love to do: dance. 

It takes months to perfect a performance. Lots of time is spent in the studio perfecting dances and training. The Papillion La Vista Dance Team puts a lot of dedication into what they do, making sure to put smiles on lots of people’s faces. 

“Preforming at football games and basketball games gives you a big rush,” senior Ally Engleman said. “Your family and friends are all there to support you and every time, you know you are putting a smile on their face.” 

PLDT hangs out with each other a lot. Team bonding is an important part that takes place into building their team. 

“We have lots of bonding parties”, Sophomore Christiana Dortch said. “Each party we do different activities to build a better and stronger bond with each other.” 

These bonds created makes the team perform better together. Lots of practices are put in place to also make a performance together and precise. 

“We usually spend months cleaning our competition dances”, Engleman said. “During the week we all spend at least five hours or more in the studio practicing.” 

PLDT usually have different sets of dances that they perform. They learn multiple kinds from different choreographers. 

“For football games and basketball games we, preform the dances that we learned at UDA camp,” Dortch said. “We have choreographers who come in and teach us our competition dances that we compete against other schools across Nebraska.” 

Right before a game, the dance team warms up. They want to be prepared and ready to perform. 

“We always stretch before a performance,” Engleman said. “We review the dance, so we know what we have to do and we practice any big tricks that we execute.” 

During competition season, it is important to the team to get ready with each other. It creates a bond with everyone and shows unity. 

“Normally we meet up at someone’s house and do our hair and makeup together”, Dortch said. “Then we walk into the competition making a spontaneous entrance.” 

The Papillion La Vista Dance Team puts a lot of time and effort into what they do. Their lives consist of dancing and living. Engleman said that the best advantage of this team is knowing the people involved and becoming the best team that they could be. Many bonds are created making a big and joyful family.