The Fort Walton Beach High School Stars Dance Team departed Wednesday for the National Dance Alliance (NDA) high school national championship in Orlando, Florida, with a celebratory send-off from local first responders, students, and parents.

• Fort Walton Beach Police Department provided an escort for the team’s departure, while Fire Department crews sprayed water down from above as the bus drove beneath. Parents and students gathered outside the school’s new multi-purpose facility to wish the team well on their journey.

“It’s been a great year and we’ve had a lot of fun,” said head coach Erin Longo, who is in her 11th year leading the program. “There’s a lot of new young energy on the team. This freshman batch that came in bring a lot of fun energy. I think it’s almost re-energized the upperclassmen.”

The 27-member team has embraced a shift in their performance style this year, moving toward more fluid movements in their large varsity hip-hop routine. The change has paid off, with the team seeing higher regional scores in authenticity and staging compared to previous years.

“We have tapped into a little bit more fluid movement. There’s more of a lyrical-vibe going on this year versus the hard hitting, aggressive hip hop style we have normally done,” Longo said.

For Longo, who was once a member of the Stars dance program as a student at Fort Walton Beach High School, the program holds special significance. “This was the program that I was a part of when I went to school here. So it’s deeper for me. It means a lot more. I’m truly invested in the legacy of this program,” she said.

• The team has shown exceptional dedication this season, with every team member, including alternates, performing the competition routine at a basketball game – a first in Longo’s coaching tenure.

“We haven’t had this type of work ethic as a whole with every single team member stepping up,” Longo said. “It speaks for just the character of the kids that are on the team this year.”