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02/29/2020 11:00 PMThe Branford dance team featured a different look when its athletes took the stage at the State Championship, but in the end, the Hornets came away with the same exceptional results and once again demonstrated why they are Connecticut’s premier program.
Branford took first place in the Small Varsity Hip-Hop Division and the Small Varsity Jazz Division at the State Championship meet at Hamden High School on Feb. 29, marking the sixth-straight season that the Hornets won a state title in both divisions. Branford has now claimed a hip-hop crown at states in 13 of the last 14 years and placed first for jazz in eight of the last 11 campaigns.
Branford changed things up by bringing in new choreographers for each of its routines this season. The Hornets also hit the floor with a young club that includes seven freshmen among their 16 dancers. Since last May, everyone worked diligently to ensure that Branford would perform at its peak under the bright lights at states. It all came together at the right time as the Hornets delivered their best performances of the year to add two more titles to their dynasty.
“When we were called as state champions for both of our routines, my excitement was through the roof,” senior captain Johnna Palmese said. “This wouldn’t have been possible without the hard work and dedication of the team and our coaches. Taking these titles home to Branford is just an extra representation of all the dedication and commitment that we’ve put into this season and how much we wanted this.”
Samantha Esposito, Palmese, and Bella Petrosino are serving as Branford’s captains this year, joining Juliana Robinson and Olivia Vitale in the senior class. Layla Redente is the only junior on the team. The members of the Hornets’ sophomore class are Emma Angelo, Mallory Baughman, and Anna Perricone. Branford’s freshmen are Isabella Brancati, Kylie Butler, Ava Demilo, Isabella Kopczuk, Bryanna Lye, Olivia Torello, and Jillian Vandale.
Branford is led by co-head coaches Jacqui Montano and Megan Palluzzi. Montano said the quest to defend both titles gets more challenging each year as other programs in the state continue to grow. However, that just makes the feeling of victory even sweeter for the Hornets.
“Those were the two best performances that we’ve had. We had a great day that was full of positivity, tears of joy, and lots of laughter. There was not one negative moment the whole day,” said Montano. “It’s so surreal to be able to do it again for the sixth year in a row. It really just makes me proud. We feel grateful that we were able to stay on top and thankful to give the seniors a great sendoff for states.”
Branford totaled a score of 270 points to finish first for the Small Varsity Hip-Hop Division at the State Championship. The Hornets placed ahead of runner-up Woodland (242), as well as the eight other teams that competed in that division.
Montano and Palluzzi decided to take a risk by introducing two new choreographers to work with the Hornets for their hip-hop routine. Anthony Cordova and his wife Stephanie Cordova, who had previously been contestants on the TV show World of Dance, were welcomed to the fold this season.
Branford’s revamped routine gave its athletes more opportunities to dance as a unit, while scaling back some of the flashy tricks that had become the Hornets’ trademark. This meant that Branford’s dancers had to work that much harder to make sure they had everything down pat. The big risk ultimately led to a huge reward for the Hornets.
“They brought it to life. As soon as they ran out there and set up, we knew they had their intentions on doing the best performance they could and winning the title,” Coach Palluzzi said. “The girls really made that connection with each other on the floor and got a great reaction from the crowd. We felt the electricity from their performance when they came off the floor and knew they had done everything they could.”
The Hornets also bested the 10-team field in the Small Varsity Jazz Division at the state meet. Branford posted a total of 271.50 points to finish ahead of second-place Wethersfield (259.5) for the top spot.
Just like its hip-hop routine, Branford worked with a new choreographer, April Hamner, for this year’s jazz performance. Hamner brought more of a lyrical-based style to the Hornets, who performed to Celine Dion’s hit song “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” Montano and Palluzzi came up with the idea to use that song after they heard it playing in a restaurant at the celebration following last year’s State Championship.
One year later, Branford turned in a captivating performance that had the audience clinging to each note and hanging on every word.
“There was a lot of emotion that went into that performance. It was the last time for the seniors performing at states. They were emotional before they hit the stage and just carried the emotion all the way through,” Montano said. “Everyone just let go and enjoyed the performance. They were crying on stage while Megan and I were crying. They made the audience feel their emotions and brought their performance to the next level.”
One of the most impressive aspects of Branford’s showing at states is the fact that several of the Hornets’ dancers were competing in the meet for the first time. With 10 underclass athletes on a 16-person team, Branford needed its newcomers to learn fast in order to defend its championships. Montano and Palluzzi said the seniors did an excellent job of taking everyone under their wing this year. Senior captain Esposito felt that the tight bonds among the Hornets proved crucial when it came to carrying on their legacy.
“Something that has allowed us to achieve continued success is our bond we have as a team. Our close relationships with one another definitely set us apart from other teams, as they translate to the audience out on the floor,” Esposito said. “Our genuine connections with each other don’t only allow us to dance as one, but they also give us the motivation to perform for each girl dancing next to us and for both of our coaches leading us and cheering us on.”
Esposito and her fellow seniors can proudly say that they’ve won two state titles in each of their four seasons with the Hornets. Petrosino said she’s honored that Branford doubled up on the hardware one more time in her final campaign with the program.
“These victories mean so much to me, especially since it’s my senior year. When we took the floor for hip-hop, I could feel the fire we had and how bad we all wanted it. For jazz, we left it all out on the floor and gave the audience raw emotion to make them feel something, too,” said Petrosino. “We are so lucky to be part of such a developed program, and I am so proud of my team for the amount of growth we have had this season. I can’t wait to use this success to fuel us for the regional competition.”
Branford will compete at the New England Regional Championship at Enfield High School on Saturday, March 14. The Hornets have won five hip-hop titles and three jazz championships at the New England meet. Branford took the hip-hip title last year and captured the jazz crown two seasons ago. The one time the Hornets won both titles at New Englands was in 2017, which was also the last time the meet was held in Connecticut.
“That was when our seniors were freshmen, so we’re really coming full circle,” Coach Palluzzi said. “The most important thing is that we leave off the season feeling as amazing as we did at states. We want to have our best performances of the season and feel like we did everything the best we could. We want our seniors to have a special day. This will be their last time dancing with us, so we just want to see their performances go over the top.”