THE JOURNAL & TOPICS NEWSPAPERS | WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 9, 2008

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Sky's The Limit As New Dance, Cheer Feeder Program Takes Off

By BOBBY CHILVER

Journal Reporter

Over 70 young dancers and cheerleaders showed off their stuff last weekend as a special performance capped a 3-day Holiday Dance and Cheer Camp at Oakton Community College.

The program was hosted by the Park Ridge Park District's Sky Dance Team and the campers, grades 2nd through 8th, got a little help from their high school counterparts.

Maine South's varsity Hawkettes dance team came to help teach the young dancers and Maine West's varsity cheerleading squad worked with the cheerleaders. Also helping out were Jackie Graney, a Chicago Rush cheerleader, and Sharon Colbert, Maine West's cheerleading coach.

On Wednesday and Thursday the girls learned and practiced their routines with instructors and then finished the camp with a performance on Friday.

Program Director Kymberlee Raya said many of the 70 girls participated in both the dance and cheer camps. Friday's show features several routines by both dance and cheer squads, each divided into separate age groups. It then finished with a grand finale including everyone in both camps.

Following the performance, awards were given out to outstanding performers during the camp.

The Sky Dance Team was organized last September and has exploded, according to Raya. Over 200 girls have already gone through the program as they prepare for competition on high school teams.The feeder program is one of a kind, according to Raya, and is drawing more and more interest with young dancer and cheerleaders.

"There's nothing like this in the area," Raya said.

While feeder basketball and football programs are common in local communities, the Sky Dance Team is the only program around made specifically to prepare girls for varsity dance and cheer teams.

Raya said parents have been extremely positive about the team and camps and she expects the program to grow even more in 2008.