Fuego team members brought the glory back home after winning several awards in all four dance styles at the Star Power competition in Albuquerque, N.M. It was the first time they participated in an event outside of the city.

“We had to have extra rehearsals, even the type of stage that we were performing at was different, when we do local competitions they’re on gym floor and out there it was on a stage,” dance teacher Ms. Tovar said.

The team was very excited to go out of town to compete.

“It feels completely amazing, it was such an honor to represent El Paso and Del Valle High School at Albuquerque,” Fuego dancer Carlos Marin said.

The students presented routines in different dance styles including Duet, a musical composition for two performers, Jive, a lively style originated from African-Americans in the early 30s, Flamenco, a highly expressive Spanish dance, and Rumba, a fun and sassy Latin style.

The team received five stars by the judges. Jive took first place in its category, top three in best choreography, the Champion Award in its age category and top five best routines out of almost one hundred. Fuego also received a Golden Ticket to the World Dance Championships in New Jersey.

“It was fun, all of our teams got awards and we performed really good out there,” Marin said.

Flamenco received second place and top five in most entertaining, Rumba received third place and Duet took fifth place in another category.

“I was grateful for this opportunity because not everyone gets a chance to do something like this and my team did,” Fuego dancer Savannah Fernandez said.

The students took a bus out to Albuquerque for the first non-local competition.

“My thoughts on the road were mainly what if we don’t place? What about all the hard work and morning practices we put in? It’s all about having a nice experience and some bonding time with my team,” Marin said.

This jaunt also served as a bonding experience for the team.

“In this adventure my teammates were extremely helpful and encouraging. We had each other’s back like a true family and with each other’s support we knew we would perform great,” Fuego dancer Javier Baca said.

Although there were rewards, they were not easily obtained. The team put in many hours of practice to perform at a high level.

“We will continue to push ourselves to become a better team,” Fernandez said.

The journey does not end here.

“Our plan is to take our winning routine to the “World Dance Championships” in August in New Jersey, and represent El Paso and Del Valle High School one more time,” Marin said.