Coach Sisters Go Head To Head In Dance Team State Tournament
MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) -- The Minnesota State High School Dance Team finals took place at Target Center Friday.
Instead of the halftime show, dancers are the main show.
Yellow Medicine East High School from southwestern Minnesota is one of the favorites. The team danced to the Mötley Crüe song "Home Sweet Home" as their fans, and coach Julie Jaenish, got into the spirit.
Soon after, another southwestern Minnesota team -- Lac Qui Parle Valley High Hchool/Dawson-Boyd -- takes to the floor with their coach Lisa Johnson. They choose a Dixie Chicks song and orange attire.
It turns out the two teams have a rhythmic rivalry -- and a sisterly rivalry too.
"We're sisters and we coach competitive teams," Jaenish and Johnson said.
Both these sisters are head coaches, and both Jaenish's team and Johnson's team were in the final round of the jazz competition.
And this is not unfamiliar territory for the sisters. Last year, Yellow Medicine took second place, and La Qui Parle took first.
"That was a dream come true to take a picture with our girls and be one and two at state, that was huge," the sisters said.
The sisters, who have another sister who's also a dance coach, say it's a family tradition that keeps growing, their daughters dance on the teams now. They've built a dancing dynasty that runs deep, and the only thing sweeter than a friendly competition is a sisterly one.
"I think if we're not going to win it, I want them to win it," Jaenish said.
The two sisters competed in the final round Friday, where Lac Qui Parle Valley took home the crown as state champions.
