Pacesetters hope community takes notice of nationals placing

Newton Pacesetters went into nationals wanting to do their best, to make no mistakes and to perform strong routines.

“Which is exactly what they did,” coach Graham Sullivan told Newton News the weekend after the high school dance squad earned a sixth place trophy for its kick routine. “This team’s greatest strength is an amazing work ethic. They put in a hard workout each practice and then worked on their routines.”

During the 2022 Dance Team Union National Championship on Feb. 20 at the World Center Marriott in Orlando, Fla., the Pacesetters performed their kick, jazz and pom routines, which earned them high accolades at the state competitions just a few months before. Of note, the team’s kick routine won second at state.

Vanessa Vasseau, a senior and captain of the dance team, felt most confident with the Pacesetters’ kick routine going into nationals, in part because of the state finish but also because it is a fan favorite. Newton’s dance team is well-known for its kick routines historically, it’s what Pacesetters was founded on.

When Vasseau heard Newton get called for sixth place, she could not have been more happy. Practices leading up to nationals got more intense, and the Pacesetters implemented a new workout program with Superior Sports Performance, which specializes in dance and cheer programs. It paid off.

“I was so proud of my team,” Vasseau said. “We worked so hard and had a good outcome in the end.”

Newton’s dancers have put in several months of nonstop work. As a result, Sullivan said it has elevated the dance program to a place it has never been before. Emmalie Russell, a senior and captain of the dance team, credited sixth place finish in kick to the difficult practices leading up to nationals.

The difference between performing at state and performing at nationals was big, Russell added. But she liked the atmosphere of nationals a lot more than state, in part because “everyone is so close to you” and “everyone cheers louder” and slams the floor during routines, encouraging other dancers along the way.

Bringing home a trophy was exciting, but Russell more so cherished the team’s progress over the past year.

“…Most of all I was so, so proud of where we had gotten too,” Russell said.”The difference from summer when we were just starting out as the new team, to the team that won that sixth place trophy had so much improvement over the span of those seven months spent together.”

Ella White, a senior and captain, said the team overcame so many obstacles leading up to nationals. Common misconceptions about the sport lead people to think dance isn’t difficult or that the dancers are doing nothing, but White wholeheartedly disagrees. It’s hard work.

“We would do one intense workout every practice that many times we would feel like giving up or not finishing strong but we would come together as a team and support each other to finish,” White said. “We also had many long practices including three-plus hours where we could just continue to run the dances over and over until we were happy with the outcome.”

Even though the Pacesetters did not take home trophies for jazz or pom, White said the routines were performed “super well” and “looked the best they have ever looked.” White and her fellow team members came out of nationals knowing they gave it their all.

“The competition is so hard at nationals, especially for teams like us that don’t go to nationals every year,” White said. “This wasn’t just teams from Iowa, but now we are competing against teams from all over the U.S. I was definitely super nervous watching all the other teams but there was no doubt in my mind that my team was just a strong as many of these other teams.”

Julianna Richardson, a senior and captain, enjoys the hard work and pushing herself physically as a dancer, even though it can be exhausting. The team put in so many hours this past year. By bringing home the trophy, Richardson hopes people realize just how hard the Pacesetters work.

“So I hope people will see that, and appreciate the sport of dance,” she said. “I personally took away that we are one team and we are stronger as one, and that hard work pays off. I also realized don’t take the small moments for granted. Like late night talks on the trip or dancing in the mirror while getting ready together because time goes by so fast.”

Pacesetters is coached by head coach Graham Sullivan and assistant coaches Brenna Schwenker and Amanda Gymer.

What do you hope the community takes away form the Pacesetters’ win at nationals? What do you take away from the experience?

Vanessa Vasseau: I hope the community knows how hard we work, we aren’t just a dance team that performs at other sporting events. I will never forgot this experience especially running into the pool right after we performed our kick routine for the last time. This team made it an unforgettable season!

Emmalie Russell: I hope from us going to nationals that people can see that we do work hard. I hope that people can realize that we don’t just dance for fun we put in the effort and it truly is a sport.

Ella White: I hope the community can see that we are so much more than just girls who put smiles on their faces and entertains crowds. We work just as hard, if not harder than any other sport. We deserve the same recognition as any other sport would. I am so proud that we could come back saying we are 6th in the nation, because many other teams can’t say the same. I am just proud that we could represent Newton and show that there is so much more to dance than what many people see! Thank you Cardinal nation for allowing us to go on this trip, we couldn’t have done it without your support!

Julianna Richardson: I hope people realize how hard we work and how important it is to us. This team has put in crazy hours and dedication over this year. Dance is not easy but as dancers that’s what we are supposed to do, make it look easy. So I hope people will see that, and appreciate the sport of dance. I personally took away that we are one team and we are stronger as one, and that hard work pays off. I also realized don’t take the small moments for granted. Like late night talks on the trip or dancing in the mirror while getting ready together because time goes by so fast.

Contact Christopher Braunschweig at 641-792-3121 ext. 6560 or cbraunschweig@newtondailynews.com