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Organization: Valencia High School Dance Team
Date: March 30, 2009
VHS Dance Team Wins 3 National Championship Titles
It was a night of dreams come true for the Valencia High School Varsity Dance Team and its advisor and coach. When the performances were over at nearly midnight on the arena floor of the Anaheim Convention Center, the year's hard work was rewarded fivefold and more.
In the early morning hours of March 29, the team walked away with National Championship titles for the entire team performance in large jazz, their medium performance and their officers performance. In addition, the team won the overall National Sweepstakes Award for their large jazz number for the highest average score than any other team at the competition, senior Alexandra Skorniakoff placed 4th for her solo and Coach Trevor Lynskey won a special judges award for a perfect choreography score.
"This was truly a dream come true for our team," said team advisor and VHS teacher Eve Itaya. "2007 was the first time we had won a championship title and it was in the entire team event. To have won that same title last year and then repeat it again this year is beyond words. We are so excited and proud.
"The win at nationals for large jazz also meant that the team is undefeated in competing in this event for two years straight!," she said.
To top it off, the team had never won titles for its smaller dances and to do this for its medium and officers dances means that Valencia is definitely a force to reckon with in all categories.
While not winning the National Championship title for its Intermediate Dance, the performers did the next best thing, taking home second place and beating out 17 teams.
Teams are allowed to take their best five dances to the national championships. At this year's event, there were more than 2,000 dancers in some 300 performances.
The dancers started the competition Friday morning, with final preliminary performances ending Saturday at 7 pm. Throughout the two-day event, the teams wait to find out if they placed in the top 10 percent in their category in order to compete for the coveted championship titles in the finals beginning at 9 pm Saturday.
Valencia made four of its dances to the final rounds, an accomplishment only matched by two other teams in attendance. However, no other team had four dances and a soloist performing in the finals.
Skorniakoff was one of the top five soloists out of a field of 63 to compete for a scholarship and the title of Solo Champion. She placed 4th.
You can see the national championship team perform, along with other local high school teams and studios, at its annual show "V" Experience the Magic on Apr. 24-25 at Valencia High School. Tickets are $10 and can be bought at the door. For more additional information, email vhsdanceteam@yahoo.com.
