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By NOAH WORTHAM | Managing Editor

ORLANDO, Fla – For the third year in a row, the Thompson High School Warriorettes dance team and Marching Southern Sounds band have walked away from the Universal Dance Association Gameday Live Nationals as champions.

The UDA National Dance Team Championship took place at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Orlando, Florida from Jan. 31 through Feb. 2. With an event score of 91.3, this marked the third consecutive year the Warriors secured the honor of being national champions for the Game Day Live category.

“We are so excited to bring home another national championship with our band,” THS Dance Instructor Emily Bennett said. “We love getting to represent Thompson and Alabama on the nationals floor.”

Bennett said the students’ reaction to finding out they were champions once again was one of pure excitement and happiness.

“We were confident that we had an amazing routine and that our students were ready, but you never know how judges can feel about what you do, so it’s always exciting when you hear your name called for first place,” Bennett said.

The UDA Game Day Live category features the collaboration of dance team and band members as they compete together to display their game day experience—spotlighted by a fight song, spirit raising and a performance routine. In order to enhance their show this year, the Warriors added several surprises to their show, including dance team members coming out dressed in band uniforms before ripping them off to reveal their sequin outfits and a surprise flyover at the conclusion of the routine to represent THS.

“Since we compete with the band in the fall as a part of the halftime show, we love the band competing with us in our world,” Bennett said. “This year we decided to add some fun surprises to our performance to bump it to the next level.”

Securing a national championship award doesn’t come easy and begins back during summer while the football players and marching band are also practicing.

The girls prepare with pre-season training and technique, followed by choreography and the cleaning leading up to nationals,” Bennett said. “The dancers practice at least three times a week after school, every day during first period and many weekends. After band season is over the band joins us to prepare for Game Day Live. The band also works extremely hard as they are also preparing for AMEA (Alabama Music Educators Association Conference), All State and MPA (Music Performance Assessment) during this busy time.”

Both Thompson High School and Thompson Middle School offer dance class opportunities for all students. Bennett said these programs give the students the opportunity to express themselves through the art and sport of dance. Bennett emphasized that the dancers work extremely hard all year and are true athletes.

“I am so thankful to get to work with such amazing students who become like my own children,” Bennett said. “We spend many hours together, and we are family. I am also so thankful to get to work with amazing people who I could not do this without: my best friend and assistant coach, Harlie Wilson, my husband and band director, Graham Bennett and our percussion director, Jamiah Robbins. I am very blessed to get to work at the best school in Alabama.”