Swarm Sweeties
Oxnard High School has a new Dance Drill Team. Debuting their first routine at the 2018 Senior Goodbye Rally and at Jacket Connect to welcome the incoming freshmen was the Oxnard High School Dance Drill Team’s (OHSDDT) way of announcing themselves as a new addition to the school’s dance teams. Joseph Baylen, who has been coaching the OHS Short Flags team for the past 10 years, said that he has always wanted to start a new team like this. “I wanted to start this team simply because we needed unity across our competing performance teams. The main purpose is to promote school spirit, not only by performing on campus, but also competing and exhibiting at every opportunity,” he said. The last time OHS had a Drill team was about 10 years ago, and it was something Baylen wanted to bring back. Senior Leah Flores, captain of DDT, said, “It was harder [to make a routine] because I had never done drill before.” Drill is a lot different from usual dance because it is more military-based, according to Flores. Baylen also said, “The emphasis is on precision, rather than rhythm. Where dance teams rely on grooving and grace, Drill team relies on snap and flash.” OHS senior Lucy Moranda, co-captain of DDT, said that being on two dance teams was challenging for her and other dance members at first. “It was a little bit of a struggle just to get everything off the ground,” she said. Eventually, things became easier and more organized for them. DDT practices two hours everyday on the outdoor basketball courts on campus. Like the other school dance teams, DDT will compete at big dance competitions against other schools in California starting in January. Flores said, “Since it’s our first year, I want to start off strong and set the bar high for the next few years, and hopefully win some sort of title.” This new team currently has about 40 members and is open to all genders for anyone interested in joining the team next year. They have a lot of potential and are ready to show their new dance routines throughout their first year at OHS. Baylen said, “My goal for this school year is to elevate OHS in the competitive world […] and to make a lasting impact on students.”
Debuting their first routine at the 2018 Senior Goodbye Rally and at Jacket Connect to welcome the incoming freshmen was the Oxnard High School Dance Drill Team’s (OHSDDT) way of announcing themselves as a new addition to the school’s dance teams.
Joseph Baylen, who has been coaching the OHS Short Flags team for the past 10 years, said that he has always wanted to start a new team like this. “I wanted to start this team simply because we needed unity across our competing performance teams. The main purpose is to promote school spirit, not only by performing on campus, but also competing and exhibiting at every opportunity,” he said.
The last time OHS had a Drill team was about 10 years ago, and it was something Baylen wanted to bring back. Senior Leah Flores, captain of DDT, said, “It was harder [to make a routine] because I had never done drill before.” Drill is a lot different from usual dance because it is more military-based, according to Flores. Baylen also said, “The emphasis is on precision, rather than rhythm. Where dance teams rely on grooving and grace, Drill team relies on snap and flash.”
OHS senior Lucy Moranda, co-captain of DDT, said that being on two dance teams was challenging for her and other dance members at first. “It was a little bit of a struggle just to get everything off the ground,” she said. Eventually, things became easier and more organized for them. DDT practices two hours everyday on the outdoor basketball courts on campus.
Like the other school dance teams, DDT will compete at big dance competitions against other schools in California starting in January. Flores said, “Since it’s our first year, I want to start off strong and set the bar high for the next few years, and hopefully win some sort of title.”
This new team currently has about 40 members and is open to all genders for anyone interested in joining the team next year. They have a lot of potential and are ready to show their new dance routines throughout their first year at OHS. Baylen said, “My goal for this school year is to elevate OHS in the competitive world […] and to make a lasting impact on students.”
