Granada Hills Sets Sights on Dance Title

Eighteen girls from Granada Hills High School will leave Thursday for this year’s Universal Dance Assn.’s National Dance Team Championship in Orlando, Fla., hoping to place better than fourth, the highest Granada Hills has done in seven previous attempts.

“I think they’ll be really awesome contenders this year,� said the team’s coach, Paula Dribble. “We have really neat, new fresh choreography and these girls really want it.�

One of the motivations is the fact that all of the varsity girls are seniors, a result of grouping cheerleaders by grade rather than ability.

“Hopefully we’ll give the best performance we’ve ever given because it’ll be our last,� said team captain Maritza Millitello, 17.

Since it will also be their first chance at the national competition, they are going in with few expectations.

“I’m looking forward to us going there and giving it our best and showing everybody that the West Coast can dance just as well as the East Coast, because it tends to be biased that way,� said co-captain Stephanie Lee, 17.

The girls have practiced 15 to 18 hours a week for two months to perfect their pom-pom routine--described as a mix of jazz and funk, and the most difficult the girls have ever attempted.

Squad members knew theirs was to be one of 13 California teams going to Florida when they qualified at the Universal Dance Assn.’s camp over the summer, but since they do double duty as the cheerleading squad, dance practice had to wait until after football season.

Joining Granada Hills in the competition for the first time this year are the Tribal Dancers, varsity song leaders at Burroughs High School in Burbank. Coach Wendy Weichel said the Burroughs team of eight girls hopes to do well, but as novices, they are realistic about their chances.

“The more years a school goes, the better they are,� Weichel said. “But this is still something that they have to go and experience; that’s the important thing.�