Claremore dance team sweeps national competition at SeaWorld

Claremore High School's varsity dance team took first in all four categories March 28 at a national dance and drill team contest.

The 11 members of the dance team and their coach, Jessica Warden, trekked down to SeaWorld in San Antonio for the 2026 Cheer & Dance/Drill Team America competition.

Unlike in other sports, the dance team didn't make it to the national competition off the strength of a performance at another contest.

"The sport of dance has several different nationals you can go to," Warden said. "The way they work is you send in a video to qualify. You have to prove that you're not going to get there and just not know what you're doing. The girls don't even know what video I sent ... so they don't feel the pressure of it."

Warden said she alternates between applying for the smaller Texas nationals and a larger national competition in Florida. She estimated her team competed against between 20 and 25 others in San Antonio, including squads from private dance studios.

Each team presented choreographed routines in four categories: lyrical, pom, hip-hop and mix.

Senior Hazel Chavarria said lyrical routines are slow, expressive and emotive. The team wore black sleeveless robes for their performance, set to "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac.

"Once we left the stage, I didn't think lyrical went as well as it was, but once I watched the video back, I was like, 'Oh, we're winning that,'" said senior Abbie Douthitt. "That was probably the best we've ever performed it."

For pom, the team donned disco-ball pantsuits for a medley of Britney Spears songs. Hip hop incorporated a ninja theme, and the team crafted its mix routine — a blend of the three previous styles and others like jazz — around hits by boy bands.

McKenzie Frost, also a senior, said the team arrived at the competition hall early that morning and performed their four routines back-to-back for the judges.

"And then we got to go to SeaWorld," Frost said.

"That was the best part," Douthitt said.

The girls learned upon returning to the contest hall that night they had taken first place in their age group in all four categories. They won overall in every category except mix, Warden said, and the judges deemed their hip-hop routine the best performance of the day.

The team spent the next few days celebrating in San Antonio before returning to Claremore.

"We went to Six Flags the next day," Douthitt said. "So many roller coasters. It was so much fun. Dancing was fun too, OK?"

Douthitt said they also gave themselves a good scare when they got lost in a mirror maze across the street from the Alamo.

The dance team's state competition took place in December; Warden said the girls begin learning the routine they bring to state and nationals in June. At state, the team took home silver in hip hop and bronze in lyrical.

The team also competes throughout the year at home football and basketball games.

"We just all worked really hard as a team," Chavarria said. "We're sad that the season's over. ... It was a good year, and lots of friendships, and we got a lot of underclassmen out of their comfort zone."