Mane Attraction, coached by Anne Jennings, has been a huge part of Oviedo High School for years. The dance team can be seen performing at Oviedo football games and pep rallies, as well as at their own competitions. Jennings has grown up dancing with Mane Attraction.

“When I went here, I was on the team, and then I became the coach,” Jennings said. 

The team is also led by Emma Davis, the captain, and all four officers. “[Emma] was one of our two captains last year, and now she’s captain. So she’s gotten to lead the team for two years now,” Jennings said.

Both Jennings and Davis work for the team’s accomplishments. Last summer, they attended a camp. At camp, the staff teaches a dance which could either be group or individual routines, and after a few days of practice they compete it for evaluation. If everyone gets ribbons, the team will qualify for nationals. The team won all blue ribbons in order to qualify. The officers also have a huge impact on the team.

“We [the officers] all kind of do the same thing,” Madison Daly, first officer, said. “[Jennings] may have you cleaning a certain section, or she kind of just asks us opinions on things.” The officers help to ensure the team is running smoothly.

Daly loves being an officer because she likes being an advocate for her team. “I love helping everyone. I like to be the person that people go to if they have personal stuff or dance related anything.”

This year the team is doing a fundraiser to help get them to nationals. The cost of the trip can be high. Expenses include registration fees, hotels, meals, costumes, and potentially even more. This fundraiser is important to the team, since they’re a club they don’t get their funding from the school, district, or state. It’s up to the team or the parents to help support the team’s needs. “Dance is a very expensive activity,” Jennings said. “We do our best to make sure that all dancers have the ability to join the team regardless of their background.” 

Two Teams, One Spirit

The dance and cheer team performed together at the first pep rally. Since it was a combined routine, both teams felt it was important to give a moment for both cheer and dance to shine. “We went to the Commons with [the cheer team], because that’s where they practice. We went for two or three Wednesdays,” Daly said. “What we did is we came up with a dance section, They came up with a cheer section, and then dance came up with a simple section for all of us to do.”

 The performance contained dances and stunts, highlighting each team’s strengths. Each dancer got paired with a cheerleader, doing a partner moment towards the end of their performance. A good bond between these teams is special to both the school and the girls on the team. The seniors of these teams are close friends and there is a sister pair, one on each team.

“It’s crucial that the dance and cheer teams get along well since we share the sidelines and are both key elements to school spirit,” Jennings said. Jennings and Allie Rondone, the cheer coach, both went to OHS and were both on the dance and cheer teams. 

Pep rallies aren’t the only way to show spirit. Mane Attraction spends quality time to prepare for football season, making sure all of their routines are refined and in excellent condition. Daly explains being on the sidelines as really fun.

“We kind of learn the stuff in the summer, that way during the school year, we don’t really have to worry about it.” she said. The team performs a total of 9 full routines and 8 sideline routines from August all the way through October, which requires extensive training and preparation.

The team has a defined practice schedule to ensure smooth running for all dancers. They focus on building muscle and hitting all parts of the body in their workouts and stretches. A typical practice starts with a core warm up and light weights.

“We focus on engagement and muscular endurance more than lifting heavy, although we do occasionally have higher weight-based workouts,” Jennings said. They then move on to stretching making sure 15 minutes is spent to make sure the whole body is prepared.

Even off the field, the team is being challenged with complex routines. “No matter the season, we will always be working on our technical fundamentals and skills,” Jennings said. The team is also planning to start running the track for cardio endurance.