Wilton-Lyndeborough dance team finds success at New England competition in Boston

Members of the WLC Middle High School Dance Team at a practice, from left, (front) Addison Routhier, Brenna Montmarquet, Isabel McKown, (back) co-captain Cassie Emmons, Cadie Hazelton, Emily Hazelton, Mya Tramack-Westaway, co-captain Jayden Heaphy and Myah Montmarquet. 

Members of the WLC Middle High School Dance Team at a practice, from left, (front) Addison Routhier, Brenna Montmarquet, Isabel McKown, (back) co-captain Cassie Emmons, Cadie Hazelton, Emily Hazelton, Mya Tramack-Westaway, co-captain Jayden Heaphy and Myah Montmarquet.  PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE JONES

Members  of the team at the competition in Boston, from left, Addison Routhier, Cadie Hazelton, Jayden Heaphy, Myah Montmarquet, Isabel McKown, Raelyn Morrissey and Cassie Emmons.

Members  of the team at the competition in Boston, from left, Addison Routhier, Cadie Hazelton, Jayden Heaphy, Myah Montmarquet, Isabel McKown, Raelyn Morrissey and Cassie Emmons. PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE JONES.

The team with hardware won at the New England Dance & Cheer Competition in Boston. Pictured, from left, are (front) Jayden Heaphy, Cassie Emmons, Cadie Hazelton, (back) Mya Tramack-Westaway, Addison Routhier, Emily Hazelton, Brenna Montmarquet, Melodie Jones and Myah Montmarquet.  

The team with hardware won at the New England Dance & Cheer Competition in Boston. Pictured, from left, are (front) Jayden Heaphy, Cassie Emmons, Cadie Hazelton, (back) Mya Tramack-Westaway, Addison Routhier, Emily Hazelton, Brenna Montmarquet, Melodie Jones and Myah Montmarquet.   PHOTO COURTESY OF MELANIE JONES.

By DAVID ALLEN

Monadnock Ledger Transcript   

Published: 12-27-2024 10:00 AM

Modified: 12-31-2024 10:18 AM


A local team recently scored big in Boston, but not on a soccer field or cross-country course. 

The Wilton-Lyndeborough Cooperative Middle High School dance team traveled to the Reggie Lewis Track and Field Center to compete in the New England Cheer & Dance Competition, and brought home some gold in the categories of jazz and hip-hop. 

“There are 11 dancers this year,” stated team coach Melanie Jones. “We do tap jazz. hip-hop, ballet and some modern and lyrical dance,” which combines ballet technique with the freedom of jazz.

Jones founded the program in 1997. 

“I started ballet and tap when I was 4 years old,” she said. “Alexandra April, a 2006 WLC graduate, came up with the idea of adding ribbon dancing, and it’s evolved from there.”  

Not requiring ice or grassy fields, the team does not box itself into one season as other sports do.

“We are the only program at the school that is year-round. We start in August and end in July with dance camp,” Jones said, adding that they practice three days a week for two hours.

The team works together to create the routines.      

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In  February, WLC dancers traveled to Orlando for nationals and made it to the semifinals, coming in 13th overall. For the New England competition, students in grades six through 10 traveled to Boston. Owing to a shortage of school bus drivers, WLC District Superintendent Peter Weaver drove the team to the weekend event. 

Jones recalled a quote from Myah Montmarquet, an eighth-grader on the team who described  the experience.

“Dancing is like talking with your body. Every move is a way to say how you feel without using words,” she cited Montmarquet as saying.

The team’s next competition is in February at the New England Dance Challenge at Endicott College in Beverly, Mass.