Dance Team: Warriors' boots are made for kicking

Dance team

State tournament

Target Center, Minneapolis

Jazz Friday

Aitkin, Crosby-Ironton in Class 1A qualifying 11:30 a.m.

Class 1A finalists announced 1:15 p.m.

Finals Class 1A 5:30 p.m.

High kick Saturday

Aitkin, C-I in 1A qualifying 11:30 a.m.

Class 1A finalists announced 1:15 p.m.

Brainerd in 3A qualifying 2 p.m.

Class 3A finalists announced 4:45 p.m.

Finals Class 1A 5:30 p.m.

Finals Class 3A 7:15 p.m.

"These Boots" is the title of the routine the Brainerd Warriors will perform in the kick division of the Class 3A state tournament Saturday night at the Target Center.

Brainerd will compete in qualifying competition at 2 p.m. Finals in Class 3A will begin at 7:15 p.m.

"We love our routine," Warriors head coach Cindy Cloud said. "It is a country inspired routine with songs such as 'Achy Breaky Heart,' 'Rhinestone Cowboy,' 'These Boots Are Made For Walking,' 'Los Torredos' and more. It was a hard sell to the kids at the beginning of the year when we came up with the concept but they love it now. You have to love and buy into the theme as you listen to it over and over.

"We have yet to perform ('Achy') in Brainerd like we will at the Target Center. We know that we will be more focused and clean when we hit the Target Center. Each performance we have had gets better. We have been enhancing and changing it until we feel like we know have the product we can't wait to display at the Target Center."

Clough said during practice last week the team added hats to the routine.

"We have had them waiting in a box until we felt clean enough to wear them. Putting them on really takes some extra cleaning and getting used to. All head positions are magnified.

"Our hats and white boots make this routine tricky. Basically they can enhance the precision or show up when we are off. We have really been working on head angles and exact positioning.

"Choreography wise we worked hard on our formations being big and moving around a lot. We hope to maximize points in that area."

Clough projects the top kick teams as Wayzata, Chaska, Eastview, Lakeville South, St Cloud Tech, Eden Prairie and Faribault along with the Warriors.

Other teams Clough projects to be in the top 12 are Blaine, Forest Lake, Spring Lake Park and Centennial.

"Last year we placed seventh, being narrowly edged out of finals, so we will be back at it this year hoping to make it to the top," Clough said. "Last year we had jazz to focus on too. Since we didn't make it (in jazz) this year we are putting all of our energies on kick. We made school history last year making jazz finals at state for the first time."

Clough said this has been an unusual season which has been plagued by injuries and sickness.

"At one point we were joking that our song 'These Boots' may have jinxed us as we had several athletes in orthopedic boots," she said. "At one point we had four athletes in splints and boots. We have had hip injuries, two major ankle injuries, pneumonia, and three deep chin bruises. Usually at this point of the season team members bodies feel pretty beat up.

"The hard thing about the injuries is that it is hard to fill swings into the spots for performances. Our athletes who step in as a swing need to learn a different spot on a moments notice. The positions go to different places on the floor, turn different directions and kick at different times so it can be like a brain teaser.

"MaKayla Clough has danced in eight different spots. She is a quick learner and has to put her brain and nerves to the test and has done a great job as a swing. The only other year I remember having a swing in so many spots was Nicole Goochey in 'Can Can' in 2003.

"Athletes swinging in and out also affect the nerves of those who they connect on to. It throws everything off a bit, as the trust factor of who you stand with is a different person each day.

"Our seniors are leading the routine with great leadership and work hard to walk the talk. We are excited to get down to Target and hit that floor."

• Class 1A

The Aitkin All Starz and Crosby-Ironton Rangerettes will compete in jazz and kick Friday and Saturday in the 1A state tournament.

At the Section 4-1A meet, Aitkin won the jazz competition and C-I finished third. The All Starz also were champions in kick with C-I runner-up.

Aitkin is the defending 1A kick state champion.