For The Love of Dance

Each sport that is now a prominent part of our culture arose from humble beginnings. Well before games like football and basketball were universally accepted and followed, the sports were played with subpar equipment and in less than ideal conditions. Even our American pastime once featured blue-collar players with little more than tattered mitts and a common passion for the game. Over time, however, athletics tend to take on a life of their own. Currently, competitive dance is among the front-runners as the next sport on the rise, and its growth and development are mirrored perfectly by the dance team at Brebeuf Jesuit Preparatory. "It's a sport that's really just being recognized as a sport," Brebeuf dance coach Wendi Owens said. "People used to think that a dance team would just go out and shake it (at halftime), but it's really so much more than that. There is a lot of physical training that is involved, and it takes a lot of time outside of practice." Little more than four years ago, the Brebeuf dance team began as a nine-person outfit designed to dance at halftimes of basketball games and raise school spirit. Last March, Brebeuf ended its fourth season as one of the best teams in the state, taking home top-three finishes in each of the three categories at the Indiana High School Dance Team Association State Finals. Owens' first role with the team was as a volunteer assistant in 2005, her daughter's freshman year at Brebeuf. She helped guide the team to a first-place finish in the state in the Large Ensemble category, a second-place finish in Advanced Jazz and a third-place finish in Advanced Hip-Hop. "I wasn't necessarily expecting them to do as well as they did, but it didn't surprise me because of the spirit of these kids," said Owens. "There's so much heart in our dancers, and it really shows when they're out on the floor." Owens took the reigns of the team this season after the former coach stepped down. Her daughter graduated as well, taking five other seniors with her. In their stead are seven more determined seniors, an equal number of juniors, a sophomore, and a pair of freshmen to fill the varsity squad. In addition, Owens now has the backing of two on-staff assistant coaches, helping to ensure that all 32 members of the dance team are getting all of the instruction they need to keep improving. Owens credits the skill of her dancers, the help of her assistants and the support of the administration, student body and the dancers' parents as the reason for the team's past and future success. "It takes a lot of people to make this program run," said Owens. "(Brebeuf) has given us so much support, and the parent participation has been huge. Truthfully, I wouldn't have taken the job if they weren't so involved because I couldn't do all of this on my own." The team practices 3 to 4 times per week, depending on how many performances they have, and spend's most of their weekends going over choreography. It can be hectic for the dancers, having to work around the schedules of the Brebeuf basketball teams, their own competitions and other engagements. In late January, for example, the team's itinerary had them heading up to Fort Wayne for a competition, coming back to Brebeuf for a basketball game the following day and performing at halftime of the Indiana Pacers game two days later. On top of that, Owens is faced with the challenge of coaching dance at a school that has a student body comprised of varying backgrounds. While many teams have the luxury of dancing with each other from an early age, Brebeuf's team is a kaleidoscope of styles and experiences, all of which Owens has to manage effectively. "It's a challenge, but it's a very fun challenge. (Brebeuf's dancers) come from all over the place and are at different levels, but we really try to blend the styles together, so that we have a routine that fits everybody. It can definitely be tough, but our kids love to dance, and I really enjoy coaching them." After such a successful fourth year, Brebeuf is looking forward to dancing its way to the top again when the regional rolls around later this month. Yet, it's not the end result, though, that Owens looks forward to each season. Instead, it's the steps leading up to it. "The program isn't about where we place in the state," said Owens. "It's about the process, seeing them get better and the love of dancing. I always tell my team to dance from the heart and dance as if no one is watching. When they do that, the joy that dancing brings them is really apparent." -