National award winning teams compete in Pom, Jazz, and Game Day divisions!
SMCHS Song is a program for dancers striving to promote school spirit, support athletics, and represent their school in the competitive spirit industry.
We are an award winning competitive song/dance program that competes in Pom and Jazz on the regional and national level. Over the years, the SM Song teams have won numerous awards and National titles. There is a JV and Varsity team, both comprised of highly motivated and talented girls that take pride in representing SM. They love the camaraderie the team atmosphere brings them and special moments they experience together.
If you are interested in dancing in college or professionally, we are here to guide you in your journey. Our coaches have danced in college and professionally. They have an extensive network of choreographers and directors in the industry. We would love to guide your dancers in their future endeavors. Our alumni dance at many colleges including TCU, Oregon, Wisconsin, SDSU, U of Arizona, UNLV, Boston U, & GCU. Also for professional teams such as Laker Girls & Charger Girls...just to name a few!
EDF Song (Pom & Jazz) Auditions will be held April 25-27th!
Mandatory Fitting/Meeting- May 1st
Mandatory UDA Convention Camp- June 19-22nd in Indian Wells, CA
Summer Break- June 23rd-July 16th *only 3 absences allowed throughout the summer
Summer Practices/Training Camp- July 17th-21st & July 24th-28th; 9am-12pm*
Game/Rally/Competition Choreography- July 31st-August 4th
FAQ:
What does Song do? We are a fusion of an athletic team, activity, and art! We cheer/dance at football and basketball games. We perform at rallies and special events throughout the year. We compete nationally in Pom, Jazz, and new this year Game Day!
When does the season begin/end? We start right after tryouts in May and finish in March after our Nationals. We have 2-3 weeks off in the summer! We do practice 3x's week and attend UDA convention camp in Indian Wells, CA.
How much does the program cost? Every year it varies based off number in the program, but the range is from $4800-$5800 depending on what team you are selected for. It covers everything for the season.
What is EDF? Eagle Dance Force (EDF) is our new name for our dance program that joins the forces of our Song and Dance Teams! We offer master classes throughout the year taught by industry professionals.
If you have any other questions, please reach out to Coach Darwazeh- darwazehd@smhs.org.
Danielle has over 25 years of experience coaching, teaching and choreographing dance. She started dancing at the age of 3 and has been professionally trained in various styles including ballet, tap, jazz, hip hop, pom/song, theater, character, modern, pointe & lyrical. At the age of 13 she was chosen as a member of the Tremaine Dance Company and trained with world renowned choreographers in the dance/entertainment industry. She had the opportunity to dance for various live events, videos, TV, and films, such as Austin Powers, The International Man of Mystery, WB Dubba Commercial, Miss Christy’s Dancin’ Videos, & The Royal Danish Ballet. Danielle also has experience working behind the scenes in the dance/entertainment industry. Danielle worked for MSA Agency, one of the top dance/choreography talent agencies in Hollywood. Their clients work can be seen everywhere, film, TV, stage, you name it! Some of the projects she worked on included, So You Think You Can Dance, Dancing With the Stars, the High School Musical franchise, Michael Jackson's This Is It, just to name a few! Danielle is a graduate from UC Irvine and was the captain of their dance team for 3 years. She was a member of the United Spirit Association where she served as a Head Instructor and a member of their Program Development staff. She currently judges for various event producers when she is not with her teams competing. Danielle has coached and choreographed for numerous dance and Songleading teams throughout the United States including high school, college, semi-pro, and pro teams, including the LA Laker Girls, 49er Gold Rush Cheerleaders, San Diego Charger Girls, & OC Gladiators. During the past 15 years of coaching, her teams have won numerous national titles and awards including Innovative Choreography, Technical Excellence, Superior Showmanship, Best in Category, Grand Champions, & the Bronze Medal at USASF’s Dance Worlds. In 2013, Danielle was named CheerPros “Dance Coach of the Year”! She loves sharing her passion for dance and her competitive spirit to motivate and push her dancers to be the best they can be. Danielle takes pride in her dancers and dedicates herself fully by investing in each of her dancers’ growth and development. Danielle founded DC Consulting, to help coach and consult individuals in their dance, health, and/or lifestyle needs. This is Danielle's 10th season coaching at SMCHS and is excited to continue her 3rd year as the Head Coach.
JV Coach- Danica Bartholomew
Coach Danica has danced competitively for 12 years in all styles of dance. She spent 8 of those years at South County Dance Company here in RSM! She attended Tesoro High School where she was coached by Head Coach Danielle Darwazeh for 4 years. After graduation she went on to Cal Poly SLO where she earned a BS in Elementary Education. She is currently pursuing her Masters Degree and Teaching Credential at Biola University. She hopes to foster a positive, encouraging environment for her dancers at SM like she had in High School!
Industry Consultant/Varsity Competition Coach- Nicole Cestone
We are thrilled to have Nicole rejoin our coaching staff! She was our past Song Program Director for 10 seasons! She currently is the West Coast State Director for Varsity Brands including USA, UDA, and NDA! She judges for various competitions both regionally and nationally. She currently teaches at PAVE School of the Arts and directs their Team8 dance teams. She has choreographed for high school, college, and pro teams for many years and has won numerous awards and titles. She has an extensive background dancing, teaching and choreographing in the dance and spirit industries! She graduated from UCLA, where she was a member and captain of their dance team for 3 years. She was also a past USA Program Director and instructor, teaching 1000's of dancers and cheerleaders across the US and abroad. Nicole is excited to be back coaching the Eagles and looks forward to an amazing season!
