The gym at Daviess County High School was full of energy Sunday as local cheer and dance teams put on a showcase ahead of their trip to nationals in Orlando later this week. The event featured performances from high school and middle school teams across the area, giving athletes a chance to fine-tune their routines in front of a crowd before hitting the national stage.
The showcase, hosted by Daviess County High School, served as both a fundraiser and a final rehearsal for teams heading to the National High School Cheerleading Championship and National Dance Alliance Nationals.
“All of our local cheer and dance programs came together for this event,” said Daviess County High School head cheer coach Kitty Jones. “It’s not just a fundraiser — it’s a great opportunity for the kids to perform in front of a crowd before we leave for Orlando.”
Local high schools represented at the showcase included Daviess County Cheer and Dance, Apollo Cheer and Dance, and Owensboro High School Cheer. Middle school teams heading to nationals are Burns Middle School Cheer, College View Middle School Dance, and Daviess County Middle School Cheer.
Jones said her team feels confident after a busy few weeks of preparation.
“We’ve had seven showcases and exhibitions leading up to this, and I think we’re ready,” Jones said. “I believe we have a good shot at finishing in the top five.”
For Daviess County High School Dance, the path to nationals has been a rigorous one.
“For the last three weeks, we have been practicing six to seven days a week,” said head dance coach Debbie Connor. “We condition daily. Team talks help us get focused and in the right mindset. Getting both physically and mentally prepared is crucial to success. We work on team bonding. Everything has to be perfectly in sync, and that takes a lot of time, effort, dedication, and determination.”
Owensboro High School Cheer coach Sarah Price said her team has overcome early obstacles to grow stronger throughout the season.
“We started the year out with some adversity, but the girls really came together and had each other’s backs,” Price said. “We practiced multiple times per week and even performed our stunts and pyramids at ball games to get in front of a crowd. We have seven seniors this year, and they’ve been great leaders. The team really likes one another and enjoys spending time together, which makes us very cohesive. We are so excited to take the mat in Orlando and feel like we are truly ready and prepared.”
Heather Cavitt coaches the OHS coed team and shared a similar sentiment.
“We have been practicing more with both teams at the same time and doing showcases and performances any chance we get,” Cavitt said. “That gets us in front of a crowd as much as possible. I have seven seniors, so doing well at nationals is very important to them. I have several that have had the flu so we are trying to get healthy and ready to go on Thursday. We moved to DII this year (enrollment under 1400) so I am interested to see how we do in a division with schools closer to our size.”
For the Apollo Dance team, this year marks a return to the national stage for the first time in over eight years. Under the leadership of new head coach Taiwanna Tutt, the Eaglettes have been pushing themselves to raise their competitive level.
“Heading into NDA Nationals in Orlando, this is the first time the Eaglettes have gone in over eight years,” Tutt said. “New coaches, new team, new vision. We started our year off learning competition choreography just three weeks prior to our first competition, when other teams had their routines set in the summer. But we didn’t shy away from the challenge and ultimately brought home runner-up in the Hip Hop division at KHSAA Regionals.”
The Eaglettes will compete in the Intermediate Hip Hop and Varsity Game Day divisions.
“Our goal has never changed — shoot for first and be proud of what we put on the floor,” Tutt said. “Let’s go to work.”
The teams will travel to Orlando later this week, with competitions kicking off on February 6.
