From a team of 17 with eight seniors, to a team of just seven (with only one senior) on the football field under the Friday night lights. Even after the recent school split, the Gretna and Gretna East High Schools’ dance teams are still remaining together for some of the things that they do.
“We are going to be separated for football games, with only seven girls on the field for Gretna High and 13 girls for Gretna East,” senior Lily Blake said. “We still practice together, do competitions together, also basketball games and community performances.”
This explanation of how the teams for each high school are separated, but also combined at the same time, is unique. When the Gretna High School part of the team is on the football field for their halftime performance, it might feel slightly different to the audience because there are less than half the number of girls dancing compared to last year’s 17 girls.
“It definitely is different from last year because we had almost 20 people,” sophomore Brooke Hamele said. “So there is definitely more emptiness on the field, and I would like it better if we had more people, but I still really like my team.”
Even with fewer people, the dance team still practices multiple times a week in the mornings, with some afternoon and evening practices added to the week. During the practices, they go through their halftime routine alongside the Gretna East dance team girls.
“My favorite part of dance team is just being together and having the same common goal,” Hamele said. “It’s nice to all be in it together.”
Outside of the many practices required every week, the team also holds fundraisers throughout the year to help make up for some of the expenses. Students and staff may see the team walking through the hallways with matching, personalized outfits and shoes for game day, but few people think about all of the work that went into fundraising for team gear.
“During Gretna Days we do lunch in the park,” Hamele said. “We also do summer and winter dance camp, and we just recently did a Daddy-Daughter dance.”
This Daddy-Daughter dance, which was hosted on Aug. 19 in the GHS main gym, raised $10,000. This event had desserts, crafts, activities, music and, most importantly, dancing for the dads and their daughters to enjoy throughout the night.
“A lot of work was put into it, especially the decorating and planning it all out,” freshman Brooklyn Miller said. “We just did some sidelines and little dances with the girls on the bleachers.”
Overall, everyone who attended the event had a long family night of fun. The dance team members were able to interact and engage with the little girls and make memories with them as well.
“It was all really tiring because there were a lot of kids, but it was all definitely worth it in the end,” Hamele said.
