At this year’s Universal Dance Association (UDA) Fairfax Championship, held on Nov. 15 at Paul VI Catholic High School in Fairfax, the J.E.B. Stuart High School Dance Team placed second out of six teams that competed at Saturday’s event.

Dancers include Breanna Alexander, Eyerusalem Argaw, Rachel Boots, Blair Bullock, Cherelle Ford, Gerlys Norraine Gayona, Wanda Hernandez, Catherine Jackson-Banks, Jessica Jackson-Banks, Sasha Jiron, Azeb Legesse, Erika Moscoso, Alana Ogata and Nikkia Williams. The dance team coach this year is Alissa Wunder.

The Stuart girls brought their energetic hip hop routine to the dance floor at Paul VI. Teams were able to choose various categories for competition, and could place in any of those categories – jazz, hip hop and pom. Wunder said she “was very proud of their accomplishment.”

While this was the last performance at a competition for the dance team for the 2008-09 school year, they will make appearances at J.E.B. Stuart pep rallies this December and next March. They will also hold several fundraisers in the spring. Thinking ahead about next season, Wunder is confident the girls will continue and improve their winning streak. “I can guarantee they’ll be back at the UDA competition next year to move up,” she says.