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Made in the 956: Texas Heat Dance Team hoping to repeat history

Made in the 956: Texas Heat Dance Team hoping to repeat history
9 months 1 week 3 days ago Tuesday, January 30 2024 Jan 30, 2024 January 30, 2024 12:59 PM January 30, 2024 in News - Local

Last year, a dance team from the Rio Grande Valley made history at a national competition, and this year they're getting ready to compete again. 

The Texas Heat Dance Team is this week's Made in the 956.

RELATED STORY: Made in the 956: Brownsville dance team makes history at national competition

This dance studio in Brownsville and even some of these dancers might look familiar. If so, that's because the Texas Heat Dance Team is at it again.

"Half of our students are brand new. So we're still working, we're still going at it," Fred Astaire Dance Studio Director David Martinez said.

The team made history last year, not once, but twice. That's because for the first time ever they competed at the national level, and they ended up winning.

The team's hoping that this year lightning strikes twice.

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"We know what it takes to run in this competition and to be in this competition and our coaches are aiming now to, we're gearing our shows toward, into that sphere now, killing it in what we need to kill to make our shows that much better," Martinez said.

The dancers have a lot of moves to learn, but believe it or not, this year they're focusing on something you may not think of.

"Stamina, cardio. We figured out that the altitude is definitely something that affected some of the students," Martinez said.

That's because the United States Amateur Dance Championship is in Utah.

"Last year, when we went, I guess, we weren't really like, we didn't really know what we were going into when we were going to dance up there. But after we finished dancing, it felt so, like, I can't breathe, oh my god, I need air, I need air, I need air. So now I feel like I know that I need to do more cardio. I need to run. I need to exercise and do all that so by the time I get up there I can be ready," dance team Captain Nhia Garza said.

"This year, they're running their dances at a higher clip. They're doing more stamina training. Staying in their dance element as much as they can, in their shoes and heels," Martinez said.

The team's not just building their stamina, they're also building their optimism.

"I feel like we can do it again. We have a very good team this year," dance team Captain Luis Salinas said.

And just like last year, they're feeling the support from their community.

"Seeing them come out was absolutely amazing. Knowing that the whole community was with us going to Utah and coming back. It was awesome to have that support behind us," Salinas said.

"We've been blessed with you guys, and we've been blessed with a lot of outreach community help putting our name out there, putting the kids out there, and really just feeling that Brownsville, feeling that from South Texas and so the kids enjoy it. The kids love it," Martinez said.

The Texas Heat Dance Team, from the Fred Astaire Dance Studio, Made in the 956.

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