All-Iowa Honor Dance Team includes Newton dancers

Forty teams qualified for the State Basketball Tournament after days, weeks and months of practice. Another championship-caliber team showed its talent Friday and Saturday has practiced just a few hours. That team is the All-Iowa Honor Dance Team, which has become a tradition at the Girls’ State Basketball Tournament.

All dance teams represented are members of the Iowa State Dance Team Association, and the dancers were chosen based on ability, attitude, dedication and leadership qualities. Auditions were held last fall at Newton Community Schools. After just hours of practice together, the students annually put on a show that is nationally recognized as one of the finest of its kind. Grand View University serves as the host for the Thursday and Friday rehearsals.

The pregame performance included 50 dancers performing a patriotic salute. Rachael Wurr of Pella is the choreographer. The national anthem was sung by Jackie Schmillen who is the morning anchor for the “We Are Iowa” team on Channel 5.

The halftime show took place during the 4A championship game March 5. The halftime group included 238 dancers representing 92 Iowa high schools. Newton dancers were Alyssa Beerends, Brooke Linahon, Ella Price, Ella White, Emmalie Russell, Julianna Richardson, Kaitlyn Bloom, Libby Shores, Rylinn Peterson and Vanessa Vasseau.

The IGHSAU salutes, for the 41st consecutive year, Kathy Enyart and the All-Iowa Honor Dance Team.