While the Albert Lea dance team may not be advancing to the state tournament, it’s certainly not for lack of effort.

The Albert Lea varsity high kick and jazz dance teams competed amongst 14 teams in Saturday’s Section 1AA tournament in front of a packed gym at Albert Lea High School.

“Both of our teams competed their best routines of the season yesterday,” said Albert Lea coach Kelsey Routh. “Our athletes have worked very hard this season to improve upon many technical categories of the judge’s scoresheet.”

Routh said her high kick dancers have increased their cardio and have incorporated ballet into their practice routines over the past month to focus more on executing their skills more sharply. The jazz dancers focused more on lower body strength training and the timing of their routines, she said.

“Section 1AA is one of the most competitive sections around the state and there are many great teams in the running for the top three spots that advance to the state tournament,” Routh said. “As coaches, we are most proud of how our athletes danced yesterday, because they executed the growth in kick and jazz that we have been training for all season.”

The teams that placed in the high kick competition to advance to the state tournament were Faribault, first; Austin, second; and South St. Paul, third. Jazz teams that placed Saturday to advance were South St. Paul, first; Faribault, second; and Simley, third.

Despite the end to the Tigers’ season, Routh said her dancers had plenty to be proud of following Saturday’s performances.

“They felt each other’s energy on their home gym floor and had their best competition of the season,” she said.