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Bust a move

by MAUREEN DOLAN
Staff Writer | September 24, 2010 9:00 PM

COEUR d'ALENE - The Coeur d'Alene High School Vikettes Dance Team is kicking off its third year at the school by offering younger girls a chance to learn some moves.

The Mini-Vikettes Dance Camp takes place Saturday in the CHS gym from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. The one-day camp is open to girls in grades one through five, and costs $25 per child at the door.

It is the high school dance team's annual fundraiser, and there is plenty of room available for any young steppers who are interested.

"No one will be turned away," said Wendy Inman, one of the CHS Vikettes coaches.

"It's a chance for these young girls to be doing something other than a sport like soccer, with girls their own age. They can show expression and just have a really fun time with other girls their age."

A dance team was long absent from the CHS after school activities scene until 2008 when math teacher Lisa Walker, a former CHS cheerleading captain and team coach with a dance background, was approached by some students who asked her to consider resurrecting a team.

The following year, Walker and the new team hosted their first mini-camp like the one happening Saturday. Inman, a former National Dance Team High Kick Champion, two-time Minnesota State Dance Team Champion and Ambassador to Tokyo, Japan, brought her own daughters to that first camp, and ended up joining Walker as a team coach.

The pair now volunteer their time and talents together, simply because they love dance.

"Despite what people think, there is a big difference between dance and cheerleading," Inman said.

Cheer is more focused on rallying a crowd, she said. Dance is entertainment and expression.

The styles of dance range from Rockette-style high kick, to military drill team style, jazz and lyrical.

There are pirouettes and leaps, Inman said.

Inman said she and Walker's goal is to create a program for high school girls who love to dance and want to perform for their peers, the community and compete with other teams in the area.

The eight-girl team now performs mainly at basketball games.

"This after school program allows these girls, some of which may have been dancing in area studios as long as they can remember, to do what they love and show their school spirit."