Last month, the poms team had the chance to showcase their skills by dancing in a parade at Disney World hosted by Badgerette Pom Pon company to highlight the accomplishments of several poms teams throughout Wisconsin. These teams qualified for the opportunity by placing in the top competitors of the Midwest Grand Championships back in August.
For some members, it was their first time taking this trip with the team or even going to Disney. While there, visiting the parks and experiencing Disney magic are a large part of the trip allowing for time to go on rides, try new foods, and create long-lasting memories. For new members, Epcot was a popular favorite this year.
Freshman, Janey Fahl loved the experience of traveling with the team and spending time at Disney.
“I loved eating foods from around the world at Epcot with my team!,” Fahl said. “Being able to spend five days with my team was an amazing experience, and I’m very grateful for being able to bond more with the girls I roomed with. Next year I’m looking forward to going on more rides at Magic Kingdom since we only got to do one this year.”
Another freshman who enjoyed going to Epcot was Abbey Sosalla, who spent time with the team and with Coach Lynn Rutkiewicz.
“My all-time favorite park to go to is Epcot,” Sosalla said. “I love all the different countries you can “visit” and getting to try all the amazing food and experience a little something from all the different cultures is such a fun experience. Epcot also has some of my favorite rides like Soarin’, Test Track, Spaceship Earth, Mission: Space, The Guardians of the Galaxy ride, and the Ratatouille ride!”
The team has gone to Disney to perform in the parade consecutively for over 25 years and throughout the days spent in Orlando there are multiple dancing opportunities including a Hip Hop class led by professional dancers. It is a very fun activity and helps dancers grow through their technique and hip hop school.
“Hip hop class is usually one of my favorite parts of the trip,” junior Eliahna Tellez said. “I love learning the fun combos we do and getting to improve my learning and hip hop abilities. One thing we do that I like is when every grade showcases their routine to the rest at the end and we see everyone’s progress.”
Overall, the team had a successful and fun time getting to perform in the parade and being able to visit different parks with their team members. The legacy of the Disney World trip as one of team member’s favorite parts of the entire 9-month season will continue based on their hard-work and chances to qualify next year.
