The Diamond Dazzlers dance team made their mark this spring as they collected the lofty “Grand Champions” title two times in a row and two different competitions.

In early February, the Diamonds, the Sparkling Sapphires JV dance team, and DTD Hip Hop team, competed at the Danceline regional competition at Liberty Hill High School and won many awards. All together the Akins teams won 8 individual awards, 3 ensemble awards and 6 team awards. The Diamonds also walked away with the competition’s biggest award Grand Champion Team.

And in late February, the Akins dance teams achieved similar success at the Crowd Pleasers regional showcase competition at San Marcos High School. There the Akins teams won 10
ensemble awards and 6 team awards, including the “Grand Champions” title.

Dance Director Ally Gates said the awards were the product of hard work and hundreds of hours of rehearsal. From December to February the Diamond Dazzlers worked every week Monday through Friday starting at 7:30 a.m., and then picking it up again after school on Mondays and Thursdays until 9 p.m., and every other Saturday.

Through the grueling practice schedule the Diamonds fought through with team building and group circles. The director of the Diamond Dazzlers, Ally Gates, focuses on dancers doing partner work in which they split into small groups to critique each other and fix any individual problems they have in the routine.

First Lieutenant Adrianne Garza said they didn’t want the practices to be dreadful so they came up with ways they could make practice more fun and positive.“We thought about our goals and we knew we wanted to win big at contest and to show everyone that we’re not the un- derdogs and that we can win against all these tough teams,” Garza said.

The Diamond Dazzlers has enjoyed success over its history at competitions at the regional, state and even national levels. The team won national titles in 2003 and in 2006. Gates, an alumna of Akins performed in the routines that won both of the national awards.

In order to be able to perform in a contest routine, the Diamonds had to audition in a group of four in front of the team officers and director.

The Diamonds had to master the technique and be able to perform it in front of an audience. After the auditions the judges decide if all team members will perform or if some need to be taken out.

The Diamonds also needed to make sure they are passing all of their classes or they would automatically be taken out.

Many of these dancers were previously members of the JV team known as the Sparkling Sapphires, before joining the varsity team. These dancers choose to tryout for the JV team before auditioning for the varsity team to gain more experience in dance.

Social Officer Shay Pemper and a second year diamond, said she was overjoyed that the team won the Grand Champions titles. Pemper also won an individual 2nd Place award in the “Miss High Kick” category.

”Contest was really fun. It was such a blessing to be with my team and to get recognized and to have that experience even if we didn’t win anything, it was amazing,” Pemper said.

For the 2016-2017 Diamond Dazzler team there will be over 70 dancers. The tryout process for the varsity team is similar to what the Diamonds must do to perform in contest routine.

Although they were successful at contest this year, Gates said the Diamonds wouldn’t be competing at contest next year due to other plans she has in store for them.

“Instead we’re going to have a training year where the Diamonds will get to dance with guest choreographers and master class teachers so that they’re getting other people’s dance experience and not just mine and Ms. Eddy’s,” Gates said