Dance Team wows crowd at halftime

Christine Proscia and Hannah Bushey perform during half time at the RHAM vs. E.O. Smith girls' basketball game on Feb. 12. Photos by Melanie Savage.

The RHAM Dance Team performed at halftime during the Feb. 12 RHAM High School girls’ basketball game against E.O. Smith. “This is the first girls’ game we've been able to dance at this year, between the basketball schedules and snow days that RHAM has had,” said assistant coach Ashley Saunders. “The team has been dancing at the girls’ and boys’ basketball games for about five years now. Sometimes the girls are also able to dance a 30-second routine between quarters, but they usually perform a halftime routine. During boys’ games, we share halftime with the cheerleaders.”

The squad wowed the full-gymnasium crowd with a smoothly-executed and extremely energetic routine. “This is the first time they’ve performed [that particular] routine at a game,” said Saunders. “We have been working on it since the beginning of the season in October. It's a very difficult routine, with fast-paced and intense moves, but the girls have been working very hard on it.” The team will perform the same routine at an upcoming competition in Torrington, scheduled for Feb. 25 at 4 p.m. It will also be featured at the state competition in Hamden, scheduled for March 5.

“They also have a few other routines that they have performed this season,” said Saunders. The team is working on a hip-hop routine which it plans to perform at the state competition, as well.

Kim Guerra is the head coach for the program, and Katie Joy is an assistant coach, along with Saunders. “Katie and I are also 2006 RHAM graduates and alumni members of the team,” said Saunders.

“Captains this year are Libby Quesada and Christine Proscia, and the team is made up of 18 girls from all four grades,” said Saunders.

Catch the RHAM Dance Team at the boys’ basketball Senior Night on Monday, Feb. 21, at 7 p.m., as well as at the Torrington and Hamden competitions.