They stroll into the Westside Elementary gym, ready and prepared for another day of learning, but not in school. They attempt to match the moves, counts, and beats; eventually finding the rhythm.

In January 2026, the PHS Dance Team will perform their jazz and hip-hop routines at the State Spirit Competition in Casper, Wyoming.

The Dance Team typically learns their state routines in November and December under the direction and guidance of choreographer Jaxton Braten.

The skill set of a team varies from year to year with incoming dancers and graduating seniors, but the bulk of all state routines are composed of similar aspects.

“Typically, there’s a turn section or some kind of turn aspect,” Braten said. “There’s also a leap aspect, new formations, and level changes.”

Although these dances have the same features, routines can still contrast with each other because of the difficulty of the dance, which depends on the skills and tricks inserted into the choreography.

“I’m excited to showcase our new hip hop because we’ve been trying some new stuff,” Coach Kelsi Koritnik said. “Our team really built our capacity, and we’re able to do skills that are pretty tricky that we weren’t able to do last year.”

Since the dance team continually experiences sudden shifts in members, they’ve learned to cope with different skills and choreography. 

Last year at state, the PHS Dance Team won a state championship title with their jazz routine in the 3A division, whereas this year’s outcome is still being set in place.

“We’ve learned more skills, so I think that’s going to be a contributor for sure,” sophomore Alyson Morrow said. “It’s also a very different team, so that’s going to affect the outcome.”

The PHS Dance Team holds high hopes for the future in accordance with their championship title from last year. 

Most will agree about the importance of a close team going into the State Spirit Competition.

“I’m most excited for state,” team captain Emma Christopherson said. “[I’ll enjoy] being there as a team.”

While still in the process of finding a rhythm together, the PHS Dance Team is looking forward to performing together. Unity and connectivity are important contributors toward brighter futures and prolonged friendships.

“I’m excited for the experience most of all, like going to state and dancing with the team,” senior Frida Reksten said. “I feel like that’s the most important part of state.”

Whether you win or lose, enjoying the experience is the fundamental basis of passion in all different hobbies and sports. Although it might be perceived as easy, finding a rhythm can sometimes be difficult, even for choreographers.

“I let the music inspire me,” Choreographer Jaxton Braten said. “I go through 50 different playlists and just find a song that really speaks to me, and then I just start choreographing off of what the music is telling me.”

Dance is such a unique sport because there are various dimensions and categories. A big team might mean more potential skills, but then it becomes harder to have everyone on the same skill set.

“I love [the team], it’s not too big, and it’s not too small,” Reksten said. “I’m very excited to show the audience and the judges what we’ve been working on.”

For some, winning is everything, but for the dance team, the simple act of having fun is the greatest pleasure. 

Winning the previous year wasn’t the best part, though; it was the time and effort everybody had put into being there and having fun.

“I loved the community,” Morrow said. “It was so much more fun than other dance competitions I’ve been to because everybody was supporting each other.”

The simple characteristic of sportsmanship is crucial to enjoying a sport or hobby that takes up the attention and time of everyday life.

Although some schools seemed to have a particular dislike towards others, all of this seemed to fade into the background of an exciting day.

“There didn’t seem like there were any rivalries,” Morrow said. “We were just together and it was very fun.”

Dancers and coaches are still gearing up for another exciting and eventful year at the State Spirit Competition. Throughout all of the struggles and hardships this year, the dance team is exceedingly hopeful for the upcoming state competition.

“The team has shown a lot of growth this season,” Koritnik said. “We’re going in a lot stronger than we did last year.”

Despite the fact that positions on the team have been shuffled, many have received injuries, and others have struggled with some of the skill sets, only one thing remains the same: the passion for dance and the hard work they put into doing their best.

“I like watching the progression and seeing the day one and the final performance at state,” Braten said. “Seeing growth from where everybody started to where they ended is super cool.”

Growing and learning outside of school will help later on in life as these young dancers experience independence and self-respect.

Whether an onlooker, choreographer, dancer, or coach, all are anticipating a great year at the State Spirit Competition.