Dance Team Heads to Nationals

By Bryn Macias
Editor-in-Chief | The Pacific Times

NP3’s Dance Team is approaching the end of their competition season as they prepare for Nationals set for March 13-17, 2026, at the Anaheim Convention Center.

The team began the season on Jan. 24, when they competed at the Forte level. Since then, they have competed at Regionals on Jan. 31, and States on Feb. 7.

Dance Team holds awards at the state competition

Dance Team competes in the categories of Dance/Drill, Dance/Pom, Jazz, and Hip Hop. They have earned titles such as First Place in Dance/Drill at all competitions this season, as well as Second Place in Hip Hop and Jazz at Regionals, and First Place in Large Dance/Pom at States.

The team’s Hip Hop dance is based on Michael Jackson and his songs, while the theme of their Dance/Drill dance is a light vs dark storyline. The Jazz number is in the R&B genre and the Pom routine has a more “cute vibe,” as described by team leader Alexis Go Policarpio.

Go Policarpio, a senior on the team, says that the team is putting in long hours of practice three times a week to prepare for the future competition.

The team is, “Focused on improving our performance based on the judges feedback so we can maintain a fighting chance at competition,” said Go Policarpio.

Dance Team poses in their Hip Hop dance costumes

Zoe Saefong, a freshman on the team, explained how each competition readies Dance Team more for Nationals.

“I think our last couple competitions have prepared me because they showed us what we are going to experience in future competitions, and we get a feel of how good our future competitors are,” said Saefong.

NP3’s Dance Team is made up of 19 girls from grades 9th through 12th. Although in previous years it was a co-ed team, all the dancers who made the team this year are girls.

To earn a place on the team, dancers auditioned at the end of the 2024-25 school year in April, and then practiced all summer.

As the school year comes to an end and Nationals approaches, Saefong added, “I want to win 1st place in many categories and overall have lots of fun.”

NP3 students and families are encouraged to attend the competition and support the Dance Team.

Another way to support the dancers during competition season is simply offering words of encouragement, as Go Policarpio says it “helps us feel and channel the support when we perform.”

Dane Team performs Jazz number at forte competition