"It's ta, ta, then go six, seven, eight. Look up on eight."
Kristi Lopez, coach and dance instructor at Walden Grove High School in Sahuarita is demonstrating moves for the dance team's upcoming showcase performance.
The Performing Arts Crew recently took first place in the Arizona State Cheerleading/Pom competition in the Division 1, Large Hip-Hop category for the third time in a row under Lopez's lead. The team scored 295/300, earning the most points and topping seven competing teams.
Coach Kristi Lopez demonstrates some choreography to her team during practice for the Walden Grove Performing Arts Crew, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
It's an accomplishment both the students and their coach are proud of.
Carlos Quihuiz, a 17-year-old senior has been on the team for three years, so he was there for each championship win.
"The first time it was very shocking. The second time it felt amazing and the third time it was like 'wow I can't believe it's happened three times in a row," Quihuiz says. "It was unbelievable."
Sophomore, Cori Anderson is in her second year on the team.
"It was really exciting because I had never experienced something like that," Anderson says. "They had the highest record at the Memorial. So just to be on that team and be able to win was cool and to win the next time was crazy."
Anderson won state as a cheerleader, but says the experience was totally different.
"It was like JV level type of stuff," Anderson recalls. "We were going against teams that were just doing it to do it and that's how cheer was, but this is totally different. Every day we work hard and practice to the fullest and there's not one minute that you're not thinking of what's next...It doesn't even compare."
Gabriela Liquidano and the rest of the team hone a routine during practice for the Walden Grove Performing Arts Crew, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
The championship win comes on the heels of a viral video of the team dancing at a school assembly.
All 17 members of the team dressed as characters from Pixar films. Andy, Woody, Jesse, Army Men, the Incredibles, Nemo, Boo and Mike Wazowski were among them.
Lopez said the idea for the dance came to her after the student council picked the Pixar theme.
Watch the Pixar dance:
"I do all the choreography, all the music, everything," Lopez said. "So they picked Pixar and honestly I, at first, was like oh my God. How am I gonna do this? But, I don't know, it just comes. I watch the movies, get inspired and put some hip-hop in there."
The video has about 181,000 YouTube views and 7 million video views on Facebook, garnering national attention.
"The Phoenix Suns called and they got to perform at a Phoenix Suns game," Lopez said. "The director of "Finding Nemo" tweeted at us...And a few other Disney people tweeted us. I want to get on the Ellen show...It went out there. It was really fun."
Anderson played Mike Wazowski from "Monsters Inc." in the Pixar dance.
"It was so fun to do and she's such a good choreographer so it made it even better," Anderson said.
Eat. Sleep. Dance. Repeat.
The music comes back on, an introspective piece about time.
"Five. Six. Seven. Eight," students say as they go through the movements.
Lopez watches, shakes her head and stops the music.
"Everyone stop counting and just dance," Lopez says and turns the music back on.
The kids start over.
Celeste Martinez sends her hair flying while rehearsing a series of moves during practice for the Walden Grove Performing Arts Crew, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
"You guys are doing the head wrong. It's three. Take a breath in and push down, four, five and then the head all the way down on six," Lopez demonstrates. "Don't pose!"
Students follow the coach's lead and go through the routine a few times without music.
The team practices like this six times a week.
That dedication and commitment are part of what it takes to be on a championship team, Lopez says.
"Really intense commitment," Lopez says. "I would say a mental toughness because our season starts in July and ends in May and there's never a break...Any break we have dance camps learning and training. It's really hard work. That's where the mental toughness comes in. They can't give up. They have to keep their grades up."
Spending so much time together has led to strong bonds between students. For some, it's like a second family.
Quihuiz joined the dance program after seeing the friendships his sister created. She was one of the first members and is now the assistant coach. He had never taken dance before.
"Seeing her dance and seeing how close she was to everyone on the team, I wanted that too so I decided to join because I wanted that bond with those people," Quihuiz says. "Once you're in, everyone knows each other and has that strong bond."
Anderson, who has been dancing since she was a small child, feels the same.
"I feel like what I'm getting out of it is being able to have a second family," Anderson says. "I feel like there's not one person I can't go and talk to about what's really hurting me inside. We're just so close. We hang out on weekends just because we love each other, even though we're together like 24/7."
The team runs through a number during practice for the Walden Grove Performing Arts Crew, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
About the dance program
The Performing Arts Crew is part of the dance program at Walden Grove. It's the only dance program in the district, Lopez said.
It's also fairly new.
When Walden Grove opened six years ago, the principal recruited Lopez, since she knew her previously from being in the dance world.
At the time, Lopez was a kindergarten teacher and didn't dream she would ever teach dance.
The 31-year-old dance instructor has been dancing since she was about 3 years old and was a dance major at the University of Arizona with a second degree in education.
"I never thought I wanted to teach dance, but she called me and something in me said 'just try it,'" Lopez recalled. "So, six years ago I just took a leap of faith. I took dance very seriously in college and high school. I went to Italy and New York and studied ballet like crazy. Then I came back and put it down. So, it was weird."
The Walden Grove Performing Arts Crew work on their performance number during a rehearsal, Tuesday, March 28, 2017, Tucson, Ariz. Kelly Presnell / Arizona Daily Star
The Performing Arts Crew team has entered the state competitions every year. It took last place the first couple years and worked its way up to first place.
Aside from winning competitions, Lopez says students gain life skills from her program.
"Hard work, dedication and never giving up," Lopez says. "I always tell them to never get complacent, to outwork everybody around you no matter what everybody else is doing. That's the biggest one. If people around you are being lazy, it doesn't mean do it with them. Just work hard."
Watch the team's winning performance:
