Centennial’s very own Hi-C’s hosted their 53rd annual metro dance festival on Saturday March 2nd. With hosting they also took home 2nd in their 5A Pom division.
For 53 years, Centennial’s dance team coached by Anne Ellett has put on the Metropolitan Dance Festival. It has been the longest running dance competition, and was even the first state before OSAA dance/drill state was a thing. It is a long process to get Metro fully set up and in the works, so they start planning months in advance.
The Hi-C’s went through intensive and thoroughly thought out planning to make this event run smoothly and happen accordingly. They had 18 teams come join them and compete for the final time before state takes place. This competition was how teams were gonna determine which categories they were taking to state.
Teams competed in five categories: hip hop, pom, traditional, jazz, and show. The crowd was very vocal and cheered for more than just their own teams which made the dancers strive harder. The stands were packed from people all over and the stands made the gym shake with how loud and hard they were cheering. From the start of the show to the awards ceremony, there was never a dull moment in that gym.
The Hi-C’s very own seniors at the end of the competition got to give a speech recognizing their coaches that they’ve been with for 3 years. Celebrating them and really showing how much they appreciate all they do for them. From their emotional speech they had their coaches, their team, and even other teams crying.
With the end of the competition comes the annual drill down. Drill down is what most dancers look forward to because it is an amazing achievement if you win. Drill down is military calls dancers have to attend to without flinching, going early, or being on the wrong foot. It is strategic and very intense especially in the advanced category. At metro, if dancers win, their coaches will usually pick them to attend the drill down at state, which is a huge accomplishment.
For many dancers, this is their last Metro. The Hi-C’s have four seniors and three senior captains who are able to embrace this bittersweet moment. They help run the team, metro, and most importantly the motivation and support behind all of this. Metro has just added to the motivation of doing their very best at state. Congratulations Hi-C’s for the win at Metro and good luck at state.