The Liberty Belles represented VMHS at the Seguin High School Crowd Pleasers Dance competition on Feb. 10.

The Liberty Belles took first place for their Pom routine, second place for their Jazz routine, second place for their Contemporary dance routine and second place overall Grand Champion. 

The Belles danced to songs like “Conga” by Gloria Estefan, “Landslide” covered by Robyn Sherwell and a mix-up of Beyonce’s hits. Based on the selected songs, the social officers created the theme, ‘Dancing through the Decades.’

The dancers practiced nonstop to prepare for football games, but all the practices throughout the year ultimately led to the competitions. The daily after-school and summer preparations are just highlights of the dedication toward the competition. 

 Although the team was well prepared, the pre-competition jitters abounded.

“When I’m nervous, I help myself calm down by breathing and with the encouragement of my team,” Leilani Maldonado, sophomore, said. “I was a bit nervous at first, but once we started, the excitement took over.”

 The Belles work together on stage and work well off it as a team that encourages one another.

“I love to have mini dance breaks with the team or before we go on stage to compete,” Lauren Bass, Belle’s co-captain, stated, “We love to do either our squad line chants or our team Liberty Belle chant. It just really gets us hyped to perform.”

The Captain and Co-captain help keep the dancers in line and inspire them and reassure them about their capabilities and skills. Although the Belles rigorously practice and train, the captains ensure room for creativity and enjoyment.

“I try to make dance fun so they don’t feel like it’s a chore and make it feel like they can enjoy it and invest their time into it.” Savannah Sifuentes, Belle’s Captain, stated.

 The Liberty Belles will continue to strive for success along with the pep squad at their next dance competition. The competition will be at New Braunfels High School on Feb. 17.