Huntington Highsteppers have all the Right Moves
Wherever they go, the Huntington High School Highstepper competitive dance team seems to get rave reviews. Even at a camp sponsored by the United Dance Association, the Highsteppers walked away with awards.
Members of the team spent four days last month at a UDA camp held on the campus of Hofstra University. There the teenagers stayed in dorms along with hundreds of dancers from area high school and worked hard to sharpen their skills.
The camp saw senior Venice Lagone earn an All-Star award for her fine ability and the Huntington team received the Rock Star of the Week award after another team reported the Highsteppers “were such a really nice group of girls and really showed good sportsmanship throughout the whole week.”
This year’s Highstepper team is captained by Katie Newman and Allie Greenstein. Alisa Sosa serves as the junior captain. The squad is coached by Lora Ayala and Jen Carafano. In addition to the captains and Ms. Lagone, the roster includes seniors Samantha Natalello, Laurie Widerman, Samantha Hofsiss and Audrey Green, juniors Emily Buchholtz, Kerrie Greene and Kara Grossman, sophomores Stasa Doscas, Sarah Kulchinsky, Annie Minoff, Renna Wirchin and Mollie Smith and freshmen Aliyah Cohen, Alexa Giammarino, Emilie Pugliese and Allie Wieland.
Coach Ayala was proud of the girls for their hard work at the Hofstra camp. The team wasn’t merely learning dances and then taking it easy the rest of the day. They were practicing for many hours for a pair of different performances.
At Hofstra, Ms. Newman, Ms. Greenstein and Ms. Natalello were asked to audition to become UDA instructors next summer, following their graduation. Such is the talent on the Highstepper squad.
The grueling camp sessions helped the girls bond with each other and set the stage for performances at upcoming Blue Devil football and basketball games.The Highsteppers will also enter regional competitions in January. Last year they grabbed several first place awards. The team is planning to host its second annual dance clinic this winter for elementary and middle school student-dancers. The event serves as a fundraiser for the Highsteppers.
The team and its dedicated parent association works throughout the year on community service and fundraising events to offset expenses connected with special events the group seeks out beyond its regular season activities.
Early indications are that this year’s Highsteppers team has all the right moves.
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