Commack, Smithtown W. win kickline titles

Commack and Smithtown West can really kick it.

The kickline teams from those schools earned titles in the National Dance Alliance competition March 13 at Hard Rock Live in Orlando, Fla.

Commack's squad, which competes with 36 girls, won the large-varsity kick division -- its 13th NDA title in 14 years. Smithtown West, with 14 dancers, captured its first small-varsity championship. The teams competed with more than 100 schools from around the country.

The Cougarettes, who also took fourth in dance and fifth in hip-hop, didn't win any category in 2010. "Last year, they got second in kickline and that was devastating because they're so used to winning," Commack coach Jacqueline Grieco said. "The juniors, now seniors, vowed to get it back."

Led by captains Alexa Armentano, Nicole Baretsky, Alicia LaSemina and Shannon Wachtell, Commack did a combo number to "Chicago" and "Thoroughly Modern Millie" -- with a choreography assist from Melissa Rae Mahon, a performer in "Chicago" on Broadway -- and "were absolutely perfect in the finals," Grieco said.

The Whisperettes of Smithtown West -- led by captains Nicole Barone, Angie Chiraz, Heather Mundinger and Rebecca Oaks -- won after having placed third the previous two years. "We finally won!" were the first words coach Tara Foglia remembered screaming when the announcements were made.

The team's theme this year was Cinderella at the ball as they performed to Whitney Houston's "I Wanna Dance with Somebody." The idea for that was sparked last year while watching the NCAA basketball tournament, Foglia said. "During March Madness, I kept hearing 'big dance' and 'Cinderellas,' so we went with that."

They performed during football games, but preparation for the NDA competition began in August with practice four days a week for three hours, the coach said, "and they do 300 kick drills before we even start the routine."