For the last three years the Brookfield High School (BHS) Dance Team has had something to celebrate, the title of State Champs.  They will wrap up another successful season by showing off their skills at a dance recital next Saturday, June 5, at New Milford High School.

Linda Davies started the team 10 years ago and at the time it was considered a club.  Now it is a varsity sport.  Together with Deanne Petriccione, owner of the Brookfield School of Performing Arts, they have come a long way since the team's humble beginning.

Davies started the team when her daughter Sam was in high school in order to give her the opportunity to compete on a high school team.  Petriccione became involved when her daughter Gina (BHS Class of 2007) joined the team in 2005.  Soon she began coaching and has stayed on even though her daughter Gina has graduated.

Petriccione said the team's "primary purpose is not to compete, it is to perform."  The girls perform at all varsity home football and basketball games.

Averaging between 14 to 16 members, they usually compete in the "large group category," according to Petriccione. To date, the team has not had any male members, although Petriccione said she would welcome it.

Funding comes mainly through car washes and selling of school apparel.  The school contributes towards some fees and gives jerseys to the new girls, Petriccione said, but they mostly rely on fundraising and private donations to pay for costumes and other expenses. 

Petriccione said when she "met Linda, [she] was thrilled by what it was doing for [Gina].  She made friends instantly with upperclassmen and it was great for her socialization and school spirit aspect."

The two current Senior Captains said the team has been beneficial to them in many ways.  Senior Captain Chelse Janssen has been on the team for three years.  She said being a member has helped her to learn "so much patience… and that not everyone learns at the same pace." 

Janssen plans on continuing dance after graduation.  She plans on trying out for The Knicks City Dancers. "Considering I am going to Iona College, I will be very close and that enables me to balance school and dance," she said.

Christina Rooney was a Senior Captain for the 2009-2010 academic year and has been involved since her freshman year.  Rooney said "Dancing with the BHS dance team has taught me teamwork, dedication, and commitment."  She added, "Working with a team with all different skill levels and ages is difficult… but I must say we are one of the closest teams ever."  She said the girls have become "the best of friends" and attributes that bond to her team's success.

The girls spend between six to 10 hours a week at dance team practice, in addition to private lessons that are encouraged by their coaches.

Rooney said that the girls "undergo tough, long, excruciating practices," but that the hard work paid off in the form of a State Champ title three years in a row.

To Rooney, "Dance means everything. It helps me to release my stress and express whatever I am feeling on a given day. Without dance in my life, I would be lost."

Majoring in Nursing at Salve Regina University, Rooney plans on minoring in dance and taking classes to be part of the university's dance company.

"They are a great group of girls — dedicated, motivated," Petriccione said, "These girls have among the highest GPA average as a team and are very good students," despite stereotypes that would paint dancers in a bad light. Tryouts for next year's BHS dance team will be held on June 7.  They will showcase their talents at the Brookfield School of Performing Arts' recital at New Milford High School on June 5 at 2:30 p.m., performing both their competition hip hop routine and their competition jazz routine. 

Tickets are $10 for students and senior citizens, $12 for adults, and children three-and-under are free.  To purchase tickets in advance, call the studio at (203) 775-6300.