By Sarah Persico
STAFF WRITER

After years of girls asking for a dance team, it’s finally here. In the 2015-2016 school year, IHA is proud to introduce the very first IHA Pom Squad.

For everyone wondering what a pom squad is, it is a competitive dance team. The team will compete under the Universal Dance Association and will hopefully make it to nationals. Coached by Mrs. Sarah Shutrop, the dance team will compete in three categories: pom, jazz, and hip-hop.

The IHA Cheerleading team will be transforming into the IHA Pom Squad for the 2015-2016 school year. Girls will have the opportunity to try out for the new team next October.
Photo Credit: Mrs. Proscia/Photography Club

“We have a ton of talented dancers in house and I’m really looking forward to seeing all the talent that shows up at auditions in October,” Coach Shutrop said.

The pom category will mainly be for cheerleaders who love the dancing aspect of cheer without the stunting and tumbling. IHA’s Pom Squad will perform a halftime show at all home IHA Varsity Basketball games, but will not perform sideline cheers.

Being that we will have a dance team, there will no longer be an IHA Cheer Team. All IHA girls will have the opportunity to cheer for Bergen Catholic Varsity Cheer or Saint Joseph Regional Varsity Cheer as freshmen through their senior year of high school. Since cheer will overlap the dance season, students are required to choose one sport and will not be able to do both dance and cheer.

The IHA dance team will hold a boot camp over the summer. It will be three days in July. This will give girls an opportunity to try out the team and see if it’s the right place for them. The camp is not mandatory for any girls trying out, but is strongly encouraged.

Former Devils dancer and Co-Captain, Ashley Talmage will run the boot camp. Talmage will also be assisting Mrs. Shutrop with choreography throughout the season.

Tryouts for the team will be held next October and the season will start in late November. The cheer teams are a year-round commitment while the dance team will only be a winter sport. This will allow girls who are fall or spring athletes to still take part in any other sports they may play.

The dance team will give students who don’t play sports an opportunity to take part in one at IHA. “I’m excited to be coaching this team,” said Coach Shutrop. “I think it provides an exciting opportunity for dancers that hasn’t previously existed at IHA.”

If you have any other questions about the team, feel free to email Mrs. Shutrop at sshutrop@ihanj.com.