Westmoore High School Pom Squad is back at UDA Nationals to defend their 2016 double national championship titles in the Medium Jazz and Hip Hop divisions. 

This team is very familiar with the finals competition and winning championships. The Westmoore dancers always showcase nearly flawless dance technique and strong emotion on the national stage. And they are delivering that and more this year.

Last year, the dancers were first-time national champions the inaugural year of the Medium Jazz division. This time around, the Medium division is here to stay and Westmoore is focused to perform their best. The team performed to the song 'Tiny Dancer' and won over the audience with a nearly flawless routine. The team is sitting in first place after that performance and will head into Finals, competing their Jazz routine again tomorrow at 6:33PM EST.

Watch Westmoore High School's Day 1 Jazz performance below.

The team is coached by Natalie Zielny and Emily Shock, who is also the team's choreographer. Coach Zielny describes what is similar to each year's team…

 Each year we start with a new team, but with the same determination and willingness to work for the goal.

The routines this year convey stories they want the audiences to connect with. Cleaning and perfecting the routine are important steps to make sure the choreography is clear and comes across correctly. This process takes lots of time and effort. Coach Zielny tells us the only tradition they have is "practicing as many hours as possible to prepare." We are confident the team will fill the crowd with emotion and excitement once they hit the floor. 

The team's motto this year is Hard Work Pays Off. These dancers have been working hard all year. Along with plenty of school work, they also perform and cheer at wrestling, football and basketball games throughout the year. Many of the dancers take classes and compete with their dance studios as well. This extra training is great when it comes to dance technique and controlled movement which are qualities the judges look out for at nationals. 

The team is feeling confident, especially after taking a stretch limo on way to their final practice before taking the stage. The main goal this year is making the audience feel something. If history repeats itself, Westmoore will do just that in 2017.


The team will take the stage in the Hip Hop division tonight, February 4th at 9:30PM EST in the J Center.

By: Megan Miles

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