South Dade Senior High Sapphires win national recognition

The South Dade Senior High Sapphires are a very talented and accomplished competitive dance team. They have worked hard for their success and have earned national recognition.

The Sapphires recently won the National Title at Contest of Champions in Orlando. This was a dance competition including students aged from elementary school to high school from all over the United States. There were hundreds of teams competing.

This year the Sapphires earned first place in the Officer category. The leaders of the team competed against leaders from teams from all over the nation to win first place.

During the previous year, the Sapphires won first place in the hip hop and contemporary categories, according to Ashley Wojnar, dance director at South Dade.

“These girls work really hard, and they are involved in the community,” said Wojnar.

During a recent Fun Friday at South Dade where students with autism unique abilities were honored, the Sapphires performed to help spread awareness that everyone is important. They gave a strong and enthusiastic performance.

“We celebrate how exceptional we all are,” she said. “The team competes year round at the regional, state and national level. They also have fundraisers throughout the year.”

The Sapphires will host a dance show May 18th and 19th at 7 p.m. at the South Dade auditorium.

Wojnar teaches contemporary, hip, jazz ballet and over technique.

“To be a successful dancer, you need strong technique, a passion for dance, dedication, hard work and heart. Dancing is good for the soul.”

Haely Hernandez, captain of the Sapphires said, “We love to dance, and we are a family. “It takes a lot of work to do well in dance,” she said.

Audrey Dalrymple, a member of the Sapphires enjoys spending time with her team mates and agreed that it take dedication and effort to do well.