Minnetonka Dances With The Best

There are no stones left unturned at the Minnetonka dance team’s daily practices—the Skipperettes use these two-and-a-half hour blocks of time six days a week to continuously perfect their craft on the gym floor.

At Wednesday’s High Kick practice, it was more of the same. The dancers take their time, perfecting each section of their routine to make it just right.

“1-2-3-4-5-6-7-8...again,” coach Maggie Arvensen said repeatedly. “Please go back, let’s travel again.”

With a Lake Conference and section lineup as competitive as any in the state of Minnesota, every detail and every point matters for the Skipperettes. It continues to drive the girls every time they hit the floor.

“They’re absolutely stepping up,” Arvensen said. “We’re a rookie team, but I wouldn’t say we feel like a rookie team.”

The Skipperettes had no seniors on the squad a year ago, and this year 33 of their 42 girls are eight-graders, freshmen and sophomores. Still, the experience they’ve gained over the past year has formed this squad into one who believes they can compete with some of the top teams in Class AAA.

Fortunately—though it doesn’t make it easier—they get to see championship contenders like Wayzata, Hopkins and Eden Prairie in both Jazz and High Kick on a regular basis.

“Every single week,” Arvensen said. “As much as it’s hard and tough competition, it’s a blessing to compete against them consistently.”

So the Skipperettes go to work each day, finding new ways to tweak and improve their routine with their eyes set on advancing through a deep and talented Section 2AAA field.

Senior Danielle Maroney understands just how difficult the competition is, and Minnetonka uses that to help get feedback from coaches and alumni throughout the year.

“The changes that we make are based off of other people who have been watching,” Maroney said. “We ask different alumni who have been watching to get a fresh view of it, so we have an idea how to change it.”

It’s a work in progress each day the girls hit the gym. Throughout the season Arvensen said the team’s goal is to beat its own score each week.

She said based on the team’s first two Lake Conference meets this season—Nov. 22 at Edina and Tuesday at home—the gap is closing. Minnetonka took fourth on Tuesday, but the Skipperettes’ scores were higher and the field’s scores were closer together.

“They’re hard workers,” assistant coach Emily Paul said. “They’re really dedicated. They put in so much time inside and outside the gym.”

That hard work, regardless of the final standings, is what Arvensen said is most important.

“The girls know it’s not important to me where we place,” Arvensen said. “It’s important that they dance well and we have a good time. Everyone always has the goal to make it to state, of course, but that’s not what’s most important.”