The Blair High School Sparx dance team capped its football game performance schedule Oct. 25 at Krantz Field.
Coach Cachell Shonka said the dancers wanted their halftime hip hop showing to be something people hadn't seen before. Using the field's lighting system, which is used to highlight Bears touchdowns with flashing displays, the Sparx danced with stadium lights flickering, creating a unique and visually interesting display.
Combining video of BHS' practices with the performance clip, Shonka said the team's effort went viral on social media platform TikTok. The video had garnered more than 770,000 views and more than 116,000 “likes” as of Friday afternoon.
“It's very, very cool,” Shonka said, noting how a relative in Virginia watched the clip unprompted.
The popular football performance, however, isn't all the Sparx dance team is up to. On Sunday, it was scheduled to take part in a showcase at Millard North High School, kicking off the competition season.
“The girls are ready,” Shonka said.
The dancers have practiced three times a week throughout the fall getting ready for the upcoming schedule, which includes a Gretna East competition on Dec. 14 and a trip to Orlando for a national competition, according to the BHS Activities calendar.
“There's lots of cool stuff going on,” Shonka said, noting a desire to host an upcoming Blair community showcase, too.
Altogether, there are 10 BHS student-athletes on the team with Hadyn Ferguson — the football performance's choreographer — and Jenna Thompson as its captains. Annaliese Collins, Kasey Cottle, Aaliyah Bilyk, Elizabeth Bray, Cassandra Mata, Cece Thompson, Lucy Lindau and Ellie Williams also started the 2024-25 school year preparation through the spring and summer months ahead of the team's recent successes.
The Sparx will perform during the home basketball games Dec. 7 and will more often in 2025 ahead of the Nebraska State Cheer & Dance Championships on Feb. 20-22 in Grand Island.
BHS DANCE COMPETITION SCHEDULE
Last Sunday: At Millard North
Dec. 14: UDA Regionals at Gretna East
Jan. 26: Nebraska Nationals Send Off at Millard North
Jan. 27: Blair Nationals Send Off at BHS
Jan. 31-Feb. 3: National Dance Team Championship in Orlando
Feb. 20: Nebraska State Cheer & Dance Championships at Heartland Events Center, Grand Island
