The Faribault Emeralds dance team won the state Class 3A High Kick dance championship, but during the awards ceremony, the other teams refused to line up and accept their awards, reports KARE.
One team wins, and five others disqualified after after a collective protest over the winning team’s routine
“I was a coach, a teacher, an activities director and a superintendent,” said Superintendent of Faribault Public Schools Todd Sesker, [and] I have never seen anything like this.”
Before the state high school dance finals at the Target Center Saturday, the Minnesota State high school league investigated claims that the Faribault dance team plagiarized part of it’s routine, who was accused of stealing it from a dance team in Utah.
“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said Todd Sesker, superintendent of Faribault Public Schools.
Faribault Dance Coach Lois Krinke admits to copying the Utah team’s concept but using their own moves for the routine.
“If any amount of time was similar, it was four seconds here and there and never consecutively,” said Krinke. “We had performed this dance in competition three times prior to, and nobody said a thing. We get to sections and we win, and then all this happened. So you draw the conclusion,” she said.
The state high school league investigated the claims, and Thursday it sent this letter to all dance teams clearing Fairbault of any wrongdoing.
“There was really no question we had won it fair in square,” said Krinke.
Eastern Carver County Schools said the following:
“Eastern Carver County Schools and Chaska High School administration are aware of the situation from the State Dance Team High Kick competition on Saturday… We have been gathering more information about what transpired on Saturday and will continue to do so this week. Before we determine our next steps, we need to investigate further. As necessary, we will share information with the larger Chaska High School community.”
Wayzata officials released a statement saying:
“The Wayzata Public Schools is aware of what occurred Saturday night during the high kick competition of the State High School Dance Team competition at Target Center. Our coaches and dancers joined four other area school districts by not participating in the medal ceremony in an alleged protest against the Faribault team’s dance routine. Wayzata dancers placed second, but due to not complying with requests to properly line-up for the awards ceremony along with the four other participating teams, no second place medals were awarded.
“The events that occurred at Saturday night’s State Dance competition were unfortunate for everyone involved. We are currently conducting an investigation of what happened and look forward to working together with the Minnesota State High School League toward an outcome that is in the best interest of all the teams.
KARE 11 reached out to the multiple teams involved in the protest, but calls and emails were not returned.
A YouTube video shows the Emeralds and the Utah team, pictured on the left, that they’re accused of stealing moves from.
With the world in chaos, is this really a story?
This is why i cant be a cheerleader, i mean this stuff just seems too petty to me. Im a fan of dance, but all this extra stuff here? ugh.
The review said they didn’t break any rules…but that may just cover how they dance…plagerism may not be covered under the rules…just because it is not in the rules doesn’t mean it may not have been unethical