A beloved part of every pep-rally and basketball game here at AMHS is seeing our very own dance team cheer on their Raptors. Many of you may not know, but this so treasured performance would have been lost if it weren’t for the hard working efforts of Samantha Moody. Her long time participation in the sport and love for dance led her to bring the dance team out of retirement and begin practicing again here at AMHS. The Talon staff got the inside scoop on just how she did it.

When did you start dancing?

“I started dancing when I was three years old.”

When did you start dancing with the AMHS Dance team?

“I danced with them freshman year, but then the team fell apart sophomore year. I then restarted it junior year and co-captained the team with Amelia Sizemore senior year.”

What did you have to do to restart the dance team?

“So I had a booth open at club fair to get people interested, and then we had auditions for the team and encouraged students to bring their friends. The first year we had less people but awareness about the team has risen and we have since doubled in size.”

How much do you practice to prepare for one performance?

“Probably about five to six hours.  We have two or three practices a week after school, and we also practiced before games and had a few Saturday practices.”

Do you have a coach?

“Ms. Novinger is our acting team adviser; however, the dance routines are self coached and choreographed”

Where do you practice?

“We practice in the cafeteria or in the lecture hall, and occasionally in the senior lounge. Saturday practices were in the gym.”

What will happen to the dance team when you graduate?

“The only junior on the team this year is an exchange student, so we will be passing the team down to the three sophomores who will all be co-captaining”

What has been your favorite part of the AMHS dance team?

“I really like how close everyone has gotten. We spend a lot of time together and strangers have become friends. It’s really fun. I love dancing and doing it with my friends makes it even better”

Samantha’s story is one of determination and dedication. Thanks to her hard work, the AMHS dance team is back and here to stay. Her legacy will be passed down to future Raptors (Check out the senior wills later this month for information on passing down your own legacy!).