The Mohawk Danzers have had an incredibly successful year, making Mason City Mohawk history and becoming state champions in three categories for the second consecutive year. This year, the girls also achieved a team academic GPA total of 3.5 – 4.0 and were also awarded the Outstanding Community Service Award. This honor was awaraded to them for their hundreds of volunteer housrs in the community. In fact, every Danzer is required to do approximately 10 hours of community service each year to give back to the community, although most of them usually work well over those required hours each year. “We are very proud of them for winning the Outstanding Community Service Award for the second year in a row. This award is given to one team only, out of hundreds, and is a result of all their volunteer hours donated in Mason City. A true honor and testimony to the character of the girls who make up MCDT,” comments the coaches of the Mohawk Danzers, Brenda Zimmerman, Jana Erickson, and Jenn Hansen. The Danzers also have choreography from Michelle Barlas, and every girl involved couldn’t be more hardworking, practicing for hours on end in order to achieve perfect synchronicity, coordination, and poise.
The initial practices and tryouts to make the team usually start in May each year, with around 35-40 girls from 8th-11th grades trying out for anywhere from 16-22 spots on the team. Once a student makes the team, they immediately begin rigorous practice with 2 summer camps: one in June and one in July. These camps can last anywhere from 18-20 hours each. During these intensive camps, members of the team learn new and difficult routines in preparation of their state competition as well as basketball season performances during pregame and half times with the pep band. From August through October, they practice every Sunday for 4 hours at a time, and then once November, hits the Danzers practice Mondays, Tuesdays, Thursdays, and Fridays for 3 1/2 hours a night, and still 4-5 hours on Sundays. This month of tireless and consistent practice has been referred to as “No Life November,” as the girls began perfecting their routines for their state competition, which occurs first Friday of December every year. Immediately after the competition, it’s time to jump right back into practicing for the Danzers, preparing and re-learning all of their various routines to perform at basketball games. “On any given week they can have 3-5 routines in their head and ready to perform. Each routine containing different choreography and they are in different formations, locations for each routine, it’s a lot to remember!” notes Brenda Zimmerman, coach of the Danzers.
This year, the Danzers were awarded three State Championship trophies for Novelty, Prop, and Hip-Hop, an extremely difficult feat. There is often the perception that dance is not a “real” sport. However, it requires an extreme amount of endurance, strength, coordination and skill, just like other sports. In fact, it takes even more than many sports as it requires individual self-awareness and the ability to move in perfect synchronization with the rest of the team. “They practice until every detail of every move is perfect and then they practice some more. And after months of practice, they have one chance, at the state level, to get it right. I have no doubt that this team has some of the toughest and most dedicated athletes around.” -Daniel Stephenson (Fr.), MCHS