Traverse City Record-Eagle

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December 31, 2010

Local dance team heads to Orange Bowl

TRAVERSE CITY — Jennifer Sullivan will be in the stands at Monday's Orange Bowl in Miami, but she won't be concentrating on the football game.

She'll be keeping her eyes peeled for daughter Lauren, who's performing with the rest of the Traverse City West Senior High Dance Team in the nationally televised 2011 Discover Orange Bowl Halftime Show.

"I'd love to put a big red bow on her head so I can pick her out but I think they'd frown on that," said Sullivan, who instead plans to watch for Lauren's familiar smile and dance style.

The Titans are among 120 dancers around the country who will take the field at Sun Life Stadium as part of an elaborate halftime production featuring the Goo Goo Dolls.

West Senior High Principal Joe Tibaldi said the high-profile event is not only a way to reward the dance team for its hard work all season but to recruit students for the school's budding dance program, which also includes an introductory dance class.

"We would like to build a stronger dance program and maybe add some advanced classes, too," Tibaldi said, noting dance's contributions to self-expression and physical fitness. "The arts are extremely important at West and dance is one of those arts that is not where we'd like it to be. We would like to think that down the road things like the Orange Bowl, competition downstate and exposure before local games would give more exposure to the dance program and encourage more students to get involved."

See story, Page 1C.

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