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Published: Tuesday, Oct. 30, 2012 / Updated: Wednesday, Oct. 31, 2012 10:24 AM

Dance teams compete at Fort Mill High School

FORT MILL -- 

The Fort Mill High School Dance Team will hold its third annual Fort Mill High School Dance Team Invitational at the Fort Mill High School gymnasium at 1 p.m. Saturday.

“We perform at the end and it’s a fun way to fundraise for the team,” co-captain Lacey Pannell said.

The dance team members hold other fundraisers throughout the season for themselves and for other foundations.

They participated in a Zumbathon at the local YMCA and raised money for the Susan G. Koman Foundation by selling temporary tattoos earlier in the season.

“We also have a Breakfast with Santa fundraiser, where we perform and kids can take pictures with Santa,” said Pannell.

This year was very different for the team because it was the first football season where they danced along side the cheerleaders during the football games.

“The football games are definitely more fun this year because we are on the sideline dancing rather than just during half time,” co-captain Adrienne Smith said.

Even though the team dances on the sideline of football games this year, they still create a new dance for each home game performance under the direction of their head coach, Liz Dukes.

Since most of the girls on the team compete on a dance team outside of the school, the team only has two practices a week to choreograph each dance.

“This year has definitely been much better than past years. We have bonded much more as a team and we all have similar backgrounds in dance allowing us to work together easier,” said Pannell.

The upcoming invitational will host dance teams from North and South Carolina. The Fort Mill Dance Team will perform at the end of the invitational to end the competition.

“The football games are a lot of fun to perform at and they are a great way to prepare for events like the invitational,” said Smith.

The invitational is one of the team’s largest fundraisers for the season. The doors open at 11 a.m. Admission is $5 for everyone.