Claremore dance team sweeps national competition at SeaWorld
Claremore High School's varsity dance team took first in all four categories March 28 at a national dance and drill team contest. The 11 members of the dance team and their coach, Jessica Warden, trekked down to SeaWorld in San Antonio for the 2026 Cheer & Dance/Drill Team America competition. Unlike in other sports, the dance team didn't make it to the national competition off the strength of a performance at another contest.
"The sport of dance has several different nationals you can go to," Warden said. "The way they work is you send in a video to qualify. You have to prove that you're not going to get there and just not know what you're doing.
The girls don't even know what video I sent ... so they don't feel the pressure of it. " Warden said she alternates between applying for the smaller Texas nationals and a larger national competition in Florida.
She estimated her team competed against between 20 and 25 others in San Antonio, including squads from private dance studios. Each team presented choreographed routines in four categories: lyrical, pom, hip-hop and mix. Senior Hazel Chavarria said lyrical routines are slow, expressive and emotive.
The team wore black sleeveless robes for their performance, set to "The Chain" by Fleetwood Mac. "Once we left the stage, I didn't think lyrical went as well as it was, but once I watched the video back, I was like, 'Oh, we're winning that,'" said senior Abbie Douthitt. "That was probably the best we've ever performed it.