Isabel Merriman ‘26 and Francesca Zogaric ‘26 sat down with Ms. Wexler and Dance Team member Islay McMillan ‘25 to get inside information on the Dance Team and their involvement with the Bruce Mahoney games.
Isabel: What’s your favorite part of the Bruce Mahoney’s?
Ms. Wexler: The dancing [and the energy they bring]! My favorite part of the Bruce is the quiet right before the storm… right before the buildup of running onto a court, which is really special.
Isabel: How do you prepare yourself and the Dance Team for each upcoming Bruce Mahoney?
Ms. Wexler: We make sure that we have plenty of rehearsal time. Our tryout dances tend to be some choreography that we’ll use in the Bruce, so the kids have more time to work on their performance quality because they already know the movement from tryouts. The most important thing really is amazing leadership, and I’ve been lucky that we’ve had amazing captains through the years.
Frankie: How long does the Dance Team rehearse each routine before the Bruce Mahoney games?
Islay: There’s usually a mad dash for the fall [games] because the team comes out in late August, then around September or October the Bruce Mahoney games start. Usually the pieces we audition with are the pieces that we dance. Then, after those games are done, there’s a lot of time to learn new routines. We have two points in the year where it’s very busy and then the rest of the time we’re just rehearsing for rallies. On average we have about a month depending on the game event.
Frankie: How do you feel after you perform these games?
Islay : Usually tired–you’ve been dancing really hard. That’s the point where I [feel] a part of a team and part of the community of SHC. That’s where I feel really grateful.
Isabel: You mentioned amazing leadership, Ms. Wexler- what do you think makes someone a good captain?
Ms. Wexler: The Dance Team Captains are the heart of the Dance Team. They must demonstrate talent in choreography, performance, and leadership, as well as having good communication skills. [Each captain] leads through example and encouragement… and makes sure to spend time answering questions and giving their peers notes. Too often, a Dance Captain thinks that leadership means being the best dancer in the room and reminding the team they are in charge… but that couldn’t be further from the truth.
Isabel: What do good captains contribute to the rest of the Dance Team?
Ms. Wexler: Each captain genuinely loves dance, they don’t just lead a dance group, they nurture a dance family. We’ve been lucky to have the leadership of Sage Mendiola- Flores ’25 for the last three years and, this year, we’ve also invited Laila Muller ’25 to steer the ship alongside Sage.
Frankie: How do you think your performances affect the student section at SHC?
Islay: Dance Team is like cheer for schools without cheer, and halftime is a good point because it’ll depend a lot on how the game is going. My favorite thing about the Bruce Mahoney games is that people show up. And I hope the Dance Team makes people feel like they’re proud to be represented.
Isabel: Do you think there’s been more interest in people trying out for the Dance Team after they’ve seen the Dance Team performing at the Bruce?
Ms. Wexler: Yes, I think that that’s how freshmen hear about us. And, shockingly enough, we usually get kids I don’t see [in Dance Class or at Dance Team practice] that are already at the school, that, all of a sudden, junior year, are like ‘let’s do this.’
Frankie: What is your favorite part of being on the Dance Team?
Islay: Definitely our performances. There is a really strong sense of camaraderie between you and the team. I think when you’re performing for people, there’s also a sense of immediacy that happens. You can feel energy when you’re performing. That’s a very unifying experience, [and] that makes me feel really connected to everybody.
Isabel: Do you have any last comments?
Ms. Wexler: I guess I’m just really excited and happy to see how far the Dance Program, Dance Team, and all the Dance students in my classes have come since I first started here!
