From Feb. 4 to Feb. 8, the Westview Dance Team competed in Orlando, Fla. for the 2026 UDA National Dance Team Championship. The team competed in two routines: Pom and Hip Hop.  

Though they did not make it out of preliminary competition for Pom, they placed 10 in small varsity D1 hip hop. They placed this during Semi-Finals, scoring 85.3167 for their routine. 

Ava Vincent, 12, said, “Our biggest challenge was, when it came to Pom, putting that behind us.” 

She stated that though losing pom was a hard pill to swallow, she believes it helped the team to focus on and pour everything into their hip hop routine.  

The Nationals trip was full of exciting and nerve-racking experiences for all involved. From freshmen to seniors, the members of the Westview Dance Team went through this trip with varying emotions. 

When asked to describe Nationals in one word, senior Vincent said, “bittersweet.”  

Freshman Lindsey Melancon described it as a mix of nerves and excitement. She stated, “I felt really scared but also really excited to go and perform in front of everybody.” 

Aside from this, underclassmen and upperclassmen alike agreed that the energy heading into the competition was strong. 

Vincent stated, “I feel like backstage this year we were a lot more hyped than we were nervous. Just feeding off each other’s energy, so that made everyone else feel confident.” 

Melancon also added, “I felt very confident that we were gonna do really good, that our dance was gonna work.” 

The confidence and energy the team brought to Nationals were the result of the preparation put in by both the dancers and their coaches. Leading up to nationals, the dance team had countless extensive practices.  

Not only did the team put in the physical work, but they had their photographer and videographer come and make them a hype reel. 

Vincent explained, “That really got us in the mindset for Nationals.” 

Along with this, the team did a Nationals advent calendar in which they pulled off a quote about Nationals every day to get them ready and prepared.  

“It had nationals at the forefront of our mind and made everyone really excited,” Vincent stated.  

In addition to this confidence and energy at Nationals, many important memories were made. For Melancon, the highlight of the trip was visiting Disney for the first time and creating unforgettable first memories on the rides. 

Vincent’s favorite moment is going to the “ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex” globe every year (pictured in graphic). As a team, they take photos at this location every year and as a senior, she loves looking back to see how much she has changed in the photos they take here.  

This past weekend, Feb. 21, Westview Dance competed in Nebraska State Dance championships. They took home the win, placing first in Class A hip hop and earning the title of back-to-back state champions.  

As their season comes to an end, the team will make a few final appearances at upcoming basketball games before officially wrapping up the year. Vincent and Melancon looked back on the season with pride in the team’s dedication and success.