From Feb. 14 to 16, the McLean Dance Team traveled to Orlando to compete in the National Dance Alliance (NDA) high school nationals. Over the course of three days, the team performed hip hop, jazz and pom, placing 12th, 13th and 18th respectively.

The NDA dance championship is a highly prestigious event for top cheer and dance teams across the country. Dances are judged by a panel on a number of different aspects including uniformity, quality of movement and choreography.

“We were going against teams that we have never been against before,” freshman dancer Emma Eklund said. “It was really cool being in such a big competition.”

When not performing, the Highlandettes took advantage of the opportunity to explore what Orlando has to offer by spending the day at Universal Studios.

“The highlight of the trip was getting to spend time with the team at the competition and enjoy the nice weather in Florida,” junior dancer Sara Ridjanovic said.

However, there were some obstacles along the way.

“We all got stuck on a ride at Universal, and a lot of our flights got delayed,” Ekland said. “Then our scores messed up for finals, and one of our teammates had to go to the emergency room.”

These hiccups did not deter from the overall experience. Apart from the chance to compete on the national stage, the annual trip to Florida allows for team bonding and saying goodbye to the seniors.

“I loved Universal and hanging out with all my friends and our coach,” Ekland said. “I really love this team.”