Huntington Highsteppers Begin Competition

The Huntington Highsteppers captured awards in the categories of hip-hop and pom in the dance team’s first competition of the winter. The squad is in the midst of preparations for the Dance Team Union national championships in Orlando, Florida in February.

The team is coached by Kristiana Salerno and Paige Tyree Furman and Jeannette Gross. The Highsteppers have a decades long tradition of excellence, winning local, regional, state and national honors along the way. The squad performs at halftime of varsity football and basketball games and at special events. The dancers train and rehearse several times a week.

The current squad features seniors Adriana Abbatiello, Zaida Correal, Camilla D’Anna, Lea Devoe, Ariana James, Raleigh Shuck and Ava Tizzio; juniors Rosie Arner and Alyssa Evans; sophomores Kymora Dorvilus, Kyra Larsen and Anna McCormick; freshmen Gianna Brady, Addison Delfino, Chloe Donovan and Jordyn Gross and eighth grader Emma Stensland.

“Highstepping has been going really great actually,” Ms. Tizzio said. “Our hard work definitely paid off at the first competition of the season. With hundreds of hours devoted to our routines, I would say this is definitely the best we have ever looked as a team while performing. I can also proudly say that all three dances have great choreography and we are so thankful for our coaches who really do showcase the talent and potential we all bring to the table within each routine. Until nationals, we will continue to strive for that top spot and we can’t wait to see what else is in store for us as a team.”

The Highsteppers are beloved around the district. The dancers bring spectacular energy to every performance.

“The year is going great,” Ms. James said. “We just had our first competition. It went really well! We got third in pom and third in hip-hop.”