New opportunities for WHS spirit squads

An opportunity to perform at the Kansas City Chiefs halftime show made for a unique experience for Westside’s dance and cheer teams. Performing in front of your school is enough to get your nervous butterflies going, but after performing at an NFL halftime show in front of 80,000 people, it is a piece of cake.

The dance cheer teams traveled to Kansas City on Aug. 6, where they learned choreography and prepared for a performance on the Chiefs field. The following Saturday, they went back down to Kansas City to perform. Claire Watsabaugh, a junior on the varsity cheer team, talked about her experience at the game.

“It was definitely really cool. I wasn’t particularly nervous before, but it was still so fun, and just the fact that we were performing in front of 80,000 people, is just so cool compared to like 1,000 at a high school,” Watsabaugh said.

Watsabaugh talked about her experience with seeing and talking to the professional cheerleaders.

“It was cool, it was kind of different though because [the professional cheerleaders] have a different style cheer than high school does, and they’re more dancers than they are cheerleaders, but it was cool to get their advice and tips on certain things,” Watsabaugh said.

Not only did the opportunity open doors for improvement of performance skills, but it was a chance for the teams to bond. Abby Tigani, a junior on dance team, was excited that the work done at the performance will be able to help the team improve and get ready for the year.

“I think we became closer (as a team), and we messed around a lot and it was funny and a different experience than when you’re actually in a school setting,” Tigani said.

Another dance team member, sophomore Jillian Jones, agrees.  

“We’re already starting off on a better foot than last year, and we’re already closer to the freshman, and the whole team is a lot closer knit, so I think it’s going to be a good year,” Jones said.

In addition, this year the dance team has a unique opportunity to also perform in the Spirit Spectacular in Orlando, Florida. April Allen, coach of Westside’s dance team, talked about receiving a bid to do so.
“I think [the bid] says these girls are extremely hard working. They come in every morning at 6:30 in the morning to practice, even in the summer,” Allen said. “They definitely deserve this because they have dedicated so much of their time and their effort, so it’s very well deserved.”