Exclusive Coverage of the Dance Team's Florida Trip

Interview with Head Royalette Coach Chrissy Salvador

Interview Conducted by Mairin Dziepak

How are you feeling as you wrap up this season? The end of the season is bittersweet. It feels like all the hard work we put in since tryouts last May comes to an abrupt stop. As we are already excited about the upcoming 2025-2026 season, it'll be sad to see our seniors graduate. It won't be the same without them.

What are some obstacles your team has had to overcome in training? We had to do a lot of reblocking this year. Sometimes things don't go as plan, and we have to take a few steps back to readjust to make it just right.

What was the most challenging competition on the way to nationals? The UDA DC Dance Challenge back in December. It's hosted by one of the largest dance team companies, and our area has so many talented teams. The first competition is always the hardest to prepare for. 

How did you prepare your team the day before the competition, mentally and physically? Sometimes it's not always about physically performing the routine. A lot of times, we sit and listen to the music and visualize what we need to do with each section. We also record a lot of the routines during practices and all performances. We use those videos to look for where we need to make corrections and point out sections that look great. We incorporate a lot of cardio during our practice days, as well as strength and conditioning. 

How has your team progressed this season? The team has been together since May 2024. We have a long season. Each dancer brings different backgrounds, and we need to find a way to bring all of that talent together. We attend an overnight camp together in July, and it's great seeing our dancers grow (especially the rookies) by the time Nationals comes around.