Long known for its stylish outfits, innovative choreography and high kicks, The Diamond Dazzler Dance team is shaking things up this year with stunts.

This year they’ve brought it to a whole other level with a number of changes, starting with stunts.

“We just really wanted to try something new,” First Lieutenant, Ariana Capetillo said.

Team members said they were inspired to try stunts after seeing various high schools and colleges dance teams perform but take caution.

“After seeing drill teams from Austin High and Bowie,” Head captain Micaela Jimenez said, “We thought it was cool and wanted to go for it.”

“We have to really be paying attention and working as team, because we’re focused on the safety of the girl while she’s doing the stunt,” social president and senior Viviana Alvardo said.

The stunts are more than just safety tricks to make their dances look good; they are meticulous and require more focus and time into their practices.

“The stunts are technical,” Jimenez said. “ We need to watch what we’re going and work as a team to make it work.”

As it seems, the Diamonds agreed wholeheartedly that with this being their first full year with new dance Director Ally Gates, they’ve improved in more ways than one.

“She pushes us more than any other coach I’ve ever had,” Alvarado said. “We like it because we’ve improved so much and done things we’ve never been able to do before.”

The team also feels much closer as a family this year compared to the last, improving their work efforts.

“In the beginning of the year we didn’t really get along with the new girls, but that completely changed,” Capetillo said. “The way we work together drastically changed the team, the transition was a lot better this year.”

It was agreed that her transition has been a most beneficial one. Gates said the team is now much better organized and larger than last year.

“It was disorganized last year,” Gates said. “Now we have sign up sheets and papers for everything.”

The Diamonds are new and improved, squaring them with a fair chance at the National competitions