Fraser

Fraser dance team hopes to build solid foundation

By Mark Vest
C & G Sports Writer

» click to enlarge « Photo courtesy of Elisa Ahee The Fraser dance team is working hard to prepare for upcoming competition. First-year coach Chelsea Biesbrouck is hoping to turn the Ramblers into one of the premier squads. Photo courtesy of Elisa Ahee The Fraser dance team is working hard to prepare for upcoming competition. First-year coach Chelsea Biesbrouck is hoping to turn the Ramblers into one of the premier squads.

The Fraser dance team came into the season with the opportunity to compete in two separate competitions, and according to first-year coach Chelsea Biesbrouck, so far, so good.

The Ramblers’ first opportunity to compete came at the Reaction Dance Force competition, which took place in December. Fraser took third place in the hip-hop routine and fourth in jazz.

And while Biesbrouck is pleased with the results, she is more concerned about preparing for the challenge ahead. That opportunity is scheduled to come March 17 at the University of Michigan Dance Invitational, with 30 or more teams expected to compete.

Biesbrouck expects Fraser to be the underdog at the competition, and that is a role she is just fine with.

“We really want to surprise everyone at U of M, and just show them, ‘Don’t always underestimate the rookies because you never know what to expect,’” she said. “We have really high expectations for the U of M competition. We’re definitely going for the top.”

Senior Emily Mong has a similar sentiment.

“If we work hard and try our best, I think we can come out on top,” she said.

Biesbrouck credits the squad’s seven seniors for helping her make a smooth adjustment to her new position. She is looking to them to help lead the way for Fraser.

“They know the ropes,” she said. “This is our first year coaching (Elisa Ahee also coaches the dance team), so they kind of welcomed us into it. They’ve become like a family to us. We learn from them, they learn from us. It’s a great team.”

Senior Ashleigh Arnold expressed hope of what the future of Fraser dance could look like.

“If we just keep working on making sure everyone is included and setting standards for ourselves, the people that come on the team next year will get even better,” she said.

While Biesbrouck doesn’t mind being considered an underdog this year, her long-term ambition is for the Fraser dance team to be known all around Michigan. She is not exactly thinking small, when it comes to the future of the program.

“We want to start brand new,” she said. “We want to be that school that you’re afraid of at the competition.”

You can reach C & G Sports Writer Mark Vest at mvest@candgnews.com or at (586)279-1112. Follow Mark on Twitter.