Marquette Catholic Dance Team Is Best In State In Class A Division

ALTON - In high school, a primary concentration for many students is the pursuit of growth in what they love to do. The Greek philosopher Epictetus once wrote, “you become what you give your attention to,” and Marquette Catholic’s dance team decided to give their full attention to becoming champions from the beginning of the 2021-2022 season. Recently at the past state finals, Marquette took home the title of state champions in 1A Jazz, 1A Lyrical, and 1A Grand Champions.

For over a decade, Marquette has been highly regarded in statewide competitions. Marquette's last state title was in the 2006 season.

Aligning with the team’s intrinsically competitive nature, not only did they reclaim their position, but they topped it. The title of Grand Champions isn’t a status the team has experienced before, and their coach, Sammy Fumagalli, said it is “amazing.”

The key to this achievement was a combination of structure, dedication, and a strong team bond. Since Fumagalli took on the job four years ago, she’s witnessed these dancers grow in not only their dancing ability but also as young women. She sees the importance of being the dancers’ friend and counselor in conjunction with her duties as a coach. Outside of the studio, many of the dancers maintained close social relationships which strengthened the connection between them and contributed to stronger buy-in across the ranks.

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“Moving into this 2021-2022 year I had a really good feeling," Coach Fumagalli said. "I could see the passion in this team and the talent they had. I knew from the beginning this team was going to do big things. I reminded my girls this all the time because I wanted them to believe it themselves."

The Marquette Catholic dance team girls have worked an entire year for the opportunity to compete in the state, the coach said.

“These girls spend up to 9-10 hours every single week practicing and perfecting routines while still managing to keep up with academics and their personal life,” she added. “They are incredible motivators to each other and have poured a lot into this year."

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