North Cedar ready for state dance

LOWDEN - Since July, the North Cedar Royal Knights dance team has been preparing for this week.

The Iowa State dance competition is Thursday and Friday at the Wells Fargo Events Center in Des Moines.

During November, the 14-member Royal Knights spent countless hours perfecting their new pom routine and the 9/11 USA tribute routine to get ready to compete at state.

'I really enjoy our pom routine,” said senior Lindsay Crock, 'because it is so upbeat.”

When the girls compete they will be judged on unity, choreography, presentation, appearance and skills.

This year the Royals dance team has two new coaches, Kelly Versendaal and Katie Bassett. The two coaches choreographed four dance routines for the dance members to perform at halftime of each home football game. The Royal Knights performed a pom routine, a 9/11 USA tribute routine, a Fun Alien routine and a hip-hop routine.

This is the first time the North Cedar dance team will go to state. In order to be accepted for state competition dance team members sold Casey's pizza cards and then put in lots of hours to perfect their routines.

'My life revolved around dance during the month of November,” Kylea Jackson said.