The Greenville High School Flaming Flashes brought the energy and continued their tradition of excellence at Danceline USA’s East Texas Regional in Caddo Mills this past weekend. The team captured top honors in multiple categories, showcasing both skill and teamwork in front of a competitive field.
The Flaming Flashes competed in Division One, medium team, performing routines in contemporary, jazz, and pom styles. Contemporary routines highlighted emotion and storytelling, jazz brought a confident and sassy flair, and pom dazzled with high-energy choreography. Their dedication and versatility paid off with an impressive collection of awards:
Division 1 Rankings above 90 points in lyrical, jazz, and pom
Division 1 Sweepstakes
Best in Category Jazz
Best in Category Pom
Division Grand Champions
Anita Jefferson Conley Award: Bailey Arana-Ramirez
Veronica Ibarra, Colonel of the Flaming Flashes, reflected on the experience: “It was amazing because we come in at 7:00, 7:30 every morning, and to have all that hard work pay off, coming together, bonding during stressful times, is really rewarding. Being recognized for all our effort is just incredible.”
The team’s officers agreed, emphasizing both the competitiveness and camaraderie of the event. Riley Manjane shared, “Even though we’re competing against other teams, off stage it’s so good to connect with other dancers and share the same passion. Competition season is such an encouraging environment because dance is something that’s so special, it’s a sport, but it’s not a sport.”
Allison Nicholas added, “This team has a long tradition. Being part of it and competing something so extraordinary is honestly very honoring. It’s history for this team.”
The Flaming Flashes are led by Anna Strickland, who shard her praise for the team’s dedication and energy. “Every day, this team just blows me away. They bring their A-game every single morning, make history for the district and the organization, and we are so very proud of them,” Strickland said.
The team’s accomplishments reflect the prestige of being part of the oldest drill team in Texas, showcase their growing presence in the competitive dance community, and continue the legacy established by Gussie Nell Davis.
Pictured: , Alexis Rios, Allison Nicholas, Veronica Ibarra, Riley Manjane and Riddhi Desai hold the Flaming Flashes’ awards earned at the Danceline USA East Texas Regional competition, where the 90th Line captured Division 1 Sweepstakes, Best in Category Jazz and Pom, and the title of Division Grand Champions.