Kick, leap, turn, repeat. Under bright lights, the GPHS dance team moves as one – a blend of precision, passion, and pure energy. Each routine tells a story, crafted through sweat, laughter, and early-morning practices. For our dancers, it isn’t just movement; it’s teamwork, identity, and a shared joy that goes far beyond performance.
The Garden Plain dance team is always the highlight of our sporting events. With a full team of 12 dancers for the 2025-2026 season, they are set to bring plenty of spirit this year. But what really happens during practices and performances, and what goes on throughout the season? It starts with a 5:30 am practice each day of the week, creating a difficult school and sport balance. “I focus on what I am doing at the moment; if that’s dance practice, I only think about dance, if it’s volleyball or basketball, I focus on those,” said Aly Scheer, a junior and dance captain. The early morning practice truly pays off for the Lady Owls Dance Team, as they bring a fun spirit and a supportive system to each home game.
Erin Smith, a senior dancer and captain, was interviewed about her time on the dance team. She said, “Dance has become much easier, and comes to me more naturally now than in my freshman year. I’ve gotten much better at memorizing dances and being more confident.” True to her word, Erin is a star dancer for the Owls. She has experienced significant improvements since her freshman year and is pleased with her adaptation to the lifestyle that comes with being a dancer, having worked diligently to develop her dance skills. “I hope my teammates take away how to make connections with people you are unfamiliar with, and create bonds and relationships wherever you can.”
The dance season is packed with events from start to finish. It kicks off in the summer, when the dance team heads to UDA camp—a three-day experience focused on learning new routines, choreography, and techniques. The camp includes long days and late nights and is said to be the most important time of the season for growth and success. Most dancers on the team agree, noting not only the skills gained but also the lasting memories created during this favorite event of the year.
Following their summer preparation, the next phase in the dance season is football. Under the Friday night lights, they perform at every home game, with the stadium cheering them on. “Football is always fun, but basketball is more enjoyable because the audience is closer, and you can do more moves that you simply can’t do on the football field,” said Erin Smith. With the lack of home football games this year, the dancers are packing each routine with a punch, putting quality over quantity into each performance.
Check out their routine for our home game!
After football, as you can guess, is basketball. Basketball season is most of the dancers’ favorite. In addition to the winter sports, they also showcase Mini Dance. A popular event for elementary and middle school girls, the crowd of parents and relatives is packed to watch each grade’s dance. The dance team takes each grade and does a clinic with them, teaching and perfecting their routine.
Also during basketball season, the Lady Owls dance at the state basketball tournament, a perfect way to end their successful season. Aly Scheer said, “My favorite part of the dance season is definitely when we perform at state. Everyone has worked so hard and improved; our dance is always really good, and everyone has a lot of fun together.”
Once both football and basketball seasons are over, it’s time for tryout season—the most stressful week of the year for both dance and cheer. The week of dance tryouts consists of learning an intricate, mandatory dance routine, as well as creating your own choreography to a song of your choice. You are also judged on skills like splits, turns, and kicks. Once the tryout process is complete, summer practices and preparations begin, and the year starts over again.
Overall, the dance team is a commitment beyond what most people see. It is a high honor to be a part of the team, and a strong person to be fully prepared to take on the responsibilities of the season. From the early mornings perfecting routines, and late-night performances, the Lady Owls Dance Team truly is the highlight of our halftime.
