BonnerSprings.com

The National Dance Alliance summer dance camp in July was supposed to improve their skills as dancers and help them to bond as a team.

But members of the Bonner Springs High School Dazzlers dance team had no idea what they were in for when they arrived at the County Club Hotel and Spa at the Lake of the Ozarks on the first day of camp.

“We quickly discovered that this was the most difficult camp in the Midwest,” said dance coach Cindy Hayes of the elite camp that was for more experienced dancers than the Dazzlers. She said she hadn’t been aware of this when she signed the team up for the camp, which was a competitive four-day intensive training experience requiring about 13-hours a day of dance instruction and several performances among peers. “Because it was the elite camp, all the teams that go to this camp had had 7-10 years of studio experience.”

Assistant dance coach Tara Kemp said only five of the 20 members of the team already had experience as dancers prior to summer rehearsals leading up to the camp, making for a lot of nerves among the girls that first day.

“The girls were really nervous at first,” Kemp said. “We were completely the underdogs and the girls were completely intimidated … we had to push them out there on the floor to compete.”

But instead of letting their nerves get the better of them, the Dazzlers excelled at the camp, in which 15 schools throughout Kansas competed, returning home with several awards and trophies, including:

• The spirit stick — awarded to the teams showing the most spirit and enthusiasm and excelling in areas of overall cooperation, discipline, leadership and respect

• The NDA spirit award — awarded to the one team most admired by other teams participating in the camp

• NDA team trophy — selected by the staff and awarded to the one team demonstrating excellence in the areas of leadership, positive attitudes, teamwork and performance

• Most improved award — presented to the team demonstrating the most technical improvement

• Superior showmanship trophy — awarded to the team based on the first performance of their home routine, which is a routine the teams choreograph and prepare prior to the camp

In addition, Dazzlers captain Brenna Hoch was presented with the outstanding team leader award. Team members were also awarded with several individual ribbons based on their work at the camp.

“When all was said and done on that last day (of camp) … we cleaned up,” Hayes said.

Both she and Kemp likened the whole experience to a fairytale for the Dazzlers.

“If you could have seen it … it really is a Cinderella story,” Kemp said. “The awards that they got, they really triumphed … for being the underdogs it really was impressive. Cindy and I were just brought to tears by their level of enthusiasm and hard work, which is amazing.”

The Dazzlers will perform throughout the year at football and basketball games and with the BSHS band. See a performance during the Tiblow Days festival from noon to 1 p.m. Saturday, Aug. 28, at Centennial Park, 126 Cedar St.

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