PUBLISHED ON January 26, 2026
Emily LeBlanc '27
For the past six months, the Chapellette Dance Team has been preparing for the American All-Star state competition, and all of their hard work finally paid off. On the weekend of January 17-18, these girls put their hearts on the floor, competing in many different categories and receiving multiple other awards. They showcased all of their talents while going up against other incredible teams.
Preparation for this competition started long before they left it all on the dance floor. From practices over the summer to Thanksgiving and Christmas break, these girls trained and cleaned, staying focused on the outcome they desired. The girls worked with choreographers to help create pieces that they were proud to display. Their coaches also assisted them at practices and ultimately led the girls to feel pride and confidence in themselves. When asked if she thought the team was prepared, one of the coaches, Cheryl Surcouf, replied with this: “We have been practicing for a very long time, and the anticipation has been killing us. The girls are focused, and I believe they are ready to compete.”
The competition took place over the span of two days, and on Saturday, they competed in their smaller dances like ensembles, solos, duos, and trios. The team had a successful day with the officer ensemble getting second place in their category, and the ensemble titled TMRW getting third place. They also excelled in the duo category with an eighth-grade duet between Skylar Brisset and Nina Occipinti, which placed second. Another duet between Lyla Pelle and Abby Hebbler took first for the third year in a row. Moving on to the solo category, the Chapellettes especially did an outstanding job. The team had four finalists move forward: Lyla Pelle in the senior division, Sophia Brisset and Jessi Kammer in the high school division, and Skylar Brisset in the junior high division. Lyla placed second, Jessi placed third, and Skylar placed second. Additionally. Sophia Brisset won first place and remained the reigning champion of her division. When asked to describe the feeling of winning two years in a row, she said, “Winning state two years in a row definitely gave me an overwhelming feeling of gratitude and pride. I am thankful I was able to deliver a powerful performance, and proud that I didn’t let the pressure get to me.” As a freshmen, this is a big feat for her, as many never even make it to finals, much less win.
The next day, the competition for the large groups happened. First, the team did a kick dance to “Cry Me a River” by Justin Timberlake and placed second. The Chapellettes also competed in two new categories, hip hop and novelty, and still held their own. They did a “nerd” themed hip hop routine and placed second. The novelty category is also referred to as the prop category, and the girls did a light-hearted, humorous alien routine. They took first for that one. When the secretary of the team, Olivia Wurster, was asked how she felt about the outcome, she answered with, “I am kind of surprised by the outcome because we competed in categories we had never done before, but at the same time, we worked so hard that I knew were prepared to go out there and put our best foot forward.” All in all, this was an extremely successful competition for the Chapellettes, and they are very proud of themselves.
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