Manhattan High School’s Dance Team, the Dazzling Blues competed this past weekend at the Kansas State High School Activities Association State Spirit Showcase, Nov. 21-22 in Topeka.
The event marked the first time the 2025-2026 class of participants from Manhattan entered the state-level showcase under the new state-wide “Game Day Spirit” format.
“We worked extremely hard on each section of the dance to make sure we looked and did the best we could,” junior Emma Marts said. “I was excited for the opportunity of another year of state and extremely grateful for the wonderful team I got to dance with.”
Manhattan’s dance roster competed among numerous teams across all classes. As part of the school’s spirit activities, the Dazzling Blues had prepared routines in categories such as jazz, pom and hip-hop, aiming to display technical precision, synchronization and stage presence.
Although the final overall placing of the Dazzling Blues was not included in publicly shared results, the team’s attendance and performance at the state showcase represents a milestone for the season — signaling their commitment to state-level competition. The fact that Manhattan High School registered and competed in the official state dance event underlines the program’s continued growth.
For many team members, the event provided valuable experience performing in a high-pressure, statewide environment, giving them exposure to udging standards and an opportunity to observe other top programs in the state.
Looking ahead, the team will build on lessons learned from this year’s competition. Coaches and members are expected to reconvene soon to evaluate performance strengths and areas needing improvement — ranging from choreography sharpness and synchronization to showmanship, costume coordination and musical interpretation.
“We could be better about hitting each individual movement and we could learn how to stay grounded even more than before,” Marts said. “We did well with our facial expressions, staying grounded in our movements, being a team, and just overall having fun.”
The Dazzling Blues return to regular season performances at games and school events with renewed experience and the ambition to elevate at future regional and state-level competitions.
“I will miss FNL nights, all the laughter and hard work, and I love being able to have such a positive and kind team and I love that we all push each other to be better as well as our hard work and tons of team bonding,” Marts said.
