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03/01/2015 11:00 PMIt’s not that there’s anything wrong with taking second place. It’s just that finishing first feels so much better and the Branford dance team is feeling mighty fine these days.
One year after the Hornets had their lengthy state title streak broken with a pair of second-place showings at the State Championship, Jacqui Montano’s squad brought the crowns back to Branford by prevailing in both the Small Varsity Hip Hop and Jazz divisions at this year’s state meet in Hamden on Feb. 28.
The Hornets scored 272 points for their hip hop performance to defeat runner-up Stratford with its total of 250—marking the eighth time in the program’s nine seasons that it won a hip hop competition at states. Branford then posted a total score of 275 in its jazz routine, which topped second-place Shelton (264) and gave the Hornets their third championship in five years in that genre.
“We definitely used what happened last year as motivation throughout the season. We wanted to take the title back. The girls had a ton of energy and positivity this year that led up to this competition. They really dedicated themselves,” said Montano, who’s assisted by Megan Palluzzi. “Our performances today were definitely our best so far this season. It was both energy and execution. They really hit everything with their tricks and the entire team’s energy was just great.”
The 11 athletes on Branford’s championship squad are senior captains Gabby Pantani and Casey Raczkowski; fellow seniors Jessica Massey and Erika Cellupica; juniors Michaela Gavigan, Tess Palluzzi, and Jessie Pantani; sophomores Lauren Driscoll and Sophia Smith; and freshmen Erica Klarman and Melissa Brennan. The girls performed the same routines that they have throughout the season, including at the National Championship in Orlando, Florida, at which the hip hop squad was a semifinalist by finishing in the top third of its division.
The Hornets’ hip hop routine incorporates a mixture of music from all different eras and Pantani said her squad did a phenomenal job of showing the crowd how much they were enjoying their time in the spotlight.
“Hip hop has always been a big go-to dance for us and we’ve always been proud of that. Our whole thing was about carrying out our energy and projecting that to the crowd to let them know how passionate we were about what we were doing. It was sharp and clean and we showed the crowd that we love what we’re doing,” Pantani said. “It’s absolutely amazing. Last year was a little bit of a heartbreaker and so this was big redemption for us. I’m so proud of our team. We’ve put in so much time and it feels great to get rewarded like this.”
Branford later hit the floor for its jazz routine, which was accompanied by an upbeat remix of Macklemore’s song “Can’t Hold Us.” That proved an appropriate title for the Hornets, who followed up their hip hop performance with another spot-on number.
“Hip hop is usually more of a crowd pleaser, but we went out and matched our energy for jazz. We performed the hip hop routine first and kind of got the nerves out and then we went out for jazz ready to kill it on the floor and we left it all out there,” said Raczkowski. “We all worked so hard at practice all week and then when we came to the high school to get ready this morning, there was just an amazing vibe. Everyone was ready and pumped up for the competition and it just felt so good and was so much fun. To win both titles at states this year just meant the world.”
Raczkowski went on to say that her team “became so close, like a family” this winter. The Branford dance family still gets one more chance to impress both the crowd and the judges at the New England Championship in Braintree, Massachusetts on Saturday, March 7—when the Hornets will go for the hip hop three-peat on the heels of their epic day at states.
“We were all happy with the hip hop title and to take home the jazz one, as well, and have double wins, you really can’t ask for anything more than that,” said Montano. “They’re just an extremely hard-working and dedicated group of girls. They have a lot on their plates, but they make time for dance because they love it. It’s one big family where everyone gets along and loves each other. That’s when it all works. When everything is great off the stage, it translates on the stage.”