THE CLEVELAND Middle School Varsity Competitive Dance Team is (in no particular order) Blaire Brooks, Joeli Poole, Emma Waddel, Taylar Hooker, Taylor Allison, Breanna Long, Ashley Hamilton, Madeline Hoops, Gabrielle Thornton, Chloe Baggett, Tmesha Pitner, Tehya Dyer, Adria Smith, and Josey McCluskey.
The talented middle school team from CMS also won the Grand Champion Award for having the highest score overall in junior high dance and cheer. For their wins, the CMS team received two trophies, a Grand Champion Banner, a $100 cash award to be used toward their team banquet, and individual Grand Champion embroidered jackets.
On Saturday, Nov. 19, the CMS Varsity Dance Team competed in the Jamfest Game Day Cheer and Dance Competition in Chattanooga. The dedicated young dancers from CMS won first place in junior high pom, first place in junior high jazz, and first place in junior high hip-hop.
The 14 competitive CMS dancers were really excited when they won the MVP Game Day Team Award for having the highest score in the entire competition. In the same weekend, the CMS Junior Varsity Competition Team competed in Chattanooga in the Fusion Cheer and Dance Competition at Soddy-Daisy High School and won first place in junior high pom and first place in junior high hip-hop. In addition, Anna Craig won an overall individual dance award for outstanding performance quality.
On Saturday, Dec. 3, 2011, the CMS Dance Team traveled to Sevierville, to compete in the UDA Smoky Mountain Xmas Dance Competition. The team came in third in junior high hip-hop. The CMS Dance Team Raiderettes also took first in the competition in the junior high pom division. The highlight of the afternoon for the dancers from Cleveland Middle was when they won the prestigious Junior High Division Champion Banner.
Members of the Cleveland Middle School Varsity Competitive Dance Team are Blaire Brooks, Joeli Poole, Emma Waddel, Taylar Hooker, Taylor Allison, Breanna Long, Ashley Hamilton, Madeline Hoops, Gabrielle Thornton, Chloe Baggett, Tmesha Pitner, Tehya Dyer, Adria Smith, and Josey McCluskey. Ashley Mays and Jessica Davis are members of the CMS Dance Team Game Squad.
Members of the CMS Junior Varsity Competitive Dance Team are Elizabeth Owens, Teya Kelsey, Mallory Gumm, Riley Calandrino, Anna Craig, Jessica Johnson, Makya Davis, Courtney Hamilton, Maya Sharma, Cassie Jones, Madison Eschenbrenner, Sarah Emily Sentell, Emma Brusky, and Julia Holt Ledford.
The CMS head dance coach is CMS math teacher Kelly Owens, a professionally trained ballet dancer and a graduate of the North Carolina School of the Arts. Assistant varsity dance coach is CMS Science teacher Tonya Cawood. Junior varsity assistant coaches are CMS Dance Team alumni Haleigh May and Jaymee Wilkinson. Team choreographers are Susan Dyer, Will Linder, Jasmine Horn and James Vassell. The CMS teams have dedicated their season to their teacher, Mrs. Ronna Mills, who is currently battling breast cancer.
Coach Owens describes this year’s CMS dance teams as “incredibly talented and extremely motivated.” She states, “I have coached for 12 years and taught ballet for 10 years, and I have never been so impressed with the passion in these teams. They truly enjoy themselves in practice, games, and competition.
“They work as a unit and are so excited to compete after Christmas in Nashville and Knoxville. The girls are really pumped to attend the AmeriDance InterNational Competition in Disney World in March. They are working daily on technique and performance quality to make our community proud. I am honored to be their coach.”
