Dance team doesn’t place at section meet but walks off the court for the final time with pride
By Per Peterson
Tears were shed by members of the Tracy-Milroy-Balaton dance program during Saturday’s Section 3A competition in Montevideo, but it wasn’t because the team failed to capture a spot at state.
TMB closed out its season Saturday with two inspiring performances, and with that bid adieu to the team’s lone senior, Tara Roberts.
“It’s bittersweet,” Roberts said after Saturday’s awards ceremony. “I’m sad I’ll never get to dance with the girls again, but I’m happy with the way we went out. I’m just really proud of every single girl who went out there, and we have some really amazing competitors. I’m just so proud of everyone. We put our everything on the floor, and we’re proud of how we did. I think that’s all that mattered. We went out there and had fun.”
Coach Bri Bruder has been involved with the dance team for five years — the last two as head coach — and said the emotions were hard to hold back Saturday when thinking about Roberts competing for her for the final time.
“Watching her during the jazz routine — our jazz song is kind of an emotional one anyway, talking about life and changes — we kind of knew this was going to be our last dance, and when she was out on the floor, I could totally feel her emotions,” Bruder said. “I was having a hard time not choking up, but as the song ended, I had tears. Half of our team was crying because we knew this was it for her.”
TMB had nine dance competitions on its schedule this year and also performed at halftime of a few TMB basketball games as well as at halftime of a basketball game at Russell-Tyler-Ruthton High School. Those were all a far cry from the atmosphere in the Montevideo High School gym Saturday.
See this week’s Headlight Herald for more on this article.