Team: Morris Redskin Poms
Coach: Megan Carlson
Location: Morris, Illinois
Style: High School Dance Team
The Morris Redskin Poms are a team motivated and determined to succeed. This past winter, the team placed in the top 20 in Pom and Jazz at UDA Nationals, and this was only their second year and competing among the best of the best!
"My favorite memory from this season was hearing the excitement and emotion from the girls when they walked off the floor at UDA Nationals," said Coach Megan Carlson of their experience. "As a coach, that is the number one goal I have for the girls. It's not to win, it's to love what they are doing and have fun doing it. My heart was so full hearing the excitement from the team!"
For their jazz performance, the team took inspiration from their song, "White Flag" by Bishop Briggs. "We wanted to go with a more intense dance this year, something that was out of the box and unexpected," said Megan. "We knew the team this year would have great motivation and determination to succeed, and that's what the song is all about. "
To match the concept, the team created an edgy black biketard. Inspired by the Force Biketard, they personalized the style with custom black fabrics. The black represented their battle in competition while a hint of white trim on the back represented the "white flag". Sharp, angled blocking on the bodice and arms really made this dance costume stand out!
See more of the Morris Redskin Poms and their Q&A below!
Photo via Morris Redskin Poms
Our team is deeply rooted in tradition. There are things such as team chants, dinner and hair parties before a competition, or senior traditions that have been around for the last 20 years. Our alumni, and even former coaches, come back and still join our circle chant at the end of practices. Our program is a family and our roots run deep. These girls are three-season athletes, so they are very much like sisters and support each other inside and outside of the dance room.
Teamwork means that you push not only for yourself, but for the girl next to you, and the future dancers who are watching from the stands. Each member should be able to rely on each other in and out of practice.
We rally our team with a fun pump up dance to "Pon De Replay". It's a simple three eight-count dance that the team repeats, getting faster and faster each time. It helps calm the nerves before a performance and pump them up!
Our inspiration came from the song we used this year, "White Flag" by Bishop Briggs. We wanted to go with a more intense dance this year, something that was out of the box and unexpected. We knew the team this year would have great motivation and determination to succeed, and that's what the song is all about. The costumes had a small amount of white on the back to represent the "white flag", but for the most part, they were black and represented their battle.
My favorite memory from this season was hearing the excitement and emotion from the girls when they walked off the floor at UDA Nationals. They were all exclaiming how much fun they had on the floor and how great they felt. As a coach, that is the number one goal I have for the girls. It's not to win, it's to love what they are doing and have fun doing it. My heart was so full hearing the excitement from the team!
I'm looking forward to seeing the motivation and drive our new team brings next season. We have been the state runner up in our competitive circuit the last four years, so I know the new team will be determined to leave their mark in a new way with our state. Our Junior members are already thinking ahead and coming up with ideas to improve!
Our biggest opportunity this year was attending UDA Nationals for our second year. The level of talent is inspiring, so we were excited to head back and compete with some of the best of the best. We competed in the Medium Pom and Medium Jazz division, making Semi-Finals in Pom and Finals in Jazz. Being able to be in the top 20 with both of our routines is remarkable and something our girls are so proud of!