November 29 through December 1, high school dance teams from across the state of Iowa will compete in the 48th annual Iowa High School and College State Dance Team Championships. 25 college teams and 251 high schools will be participating in the event, with 140 finalists able to move on to compete in the Iowa State Dance Team Association’s (ISDTA) first-ever Solo Finals Competition. 

The Abraham Lincoln Dance Team has performed their state routines in front of a greater audience, received feedback, and participated in the Dance Team Union Regionals at Johnston on November 18 to refine their routines for the upcoming competition. 

“Our greatest strength as a team is wanting to push to get to the next level and not settling for just good when greatness can be achieved,” said head coach Rachel Neill. “We could improve in refining some of the details of the choreography to be more uniform.” 

Senior dancer Lily Boland is excited for the state championships and feels that the team has done well making corrections to clean up their routines. She hopes to ultimately give the judges a performance that leaves them in awe. 

“The message I give to my teammates is to leave your mark on the dance floor and give the judges and audience something to remember,” said Boland. 

Neill is proud of all that the dancers have accomplished this season and hopes to enter the competition strong. 

“Be mindful of the details, take in the corrections, perform with energy, and have fun!”