Dance
- Team Info
- Roster
- Coaches
- Prospective Parent & Dancer Information
- Spirits Road To Nationals
- Winter Finale
- Spirit Traditions
- Spirits Photo Memories
- Dance Team FAQs
- Yard Signs
- 2024-2025 Team Tryouts
Team Info
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Spirits Dance Program has earned 11 National Champion titles and have been State Finalists in 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024! At Saint Thomas Aquinas, participation with the Spirits Dance Team is one of the most rewarding high school experiences. In addition to practicing 3 times a week, performing at home football, soccer, and basketball games, competing through the year, and maintaining a 4.0+ team GPA, the team also completes an average of 1,200+ community service hours each year! This website provides information about our program, details on our service in the community, and updates on our journey as a team.
For our current members, this website will be the central place for all of the details of our season. You will also receive weekly update emails from the coaching staff with all the essential information you need for that week.
Roster
Coaches
Tara (Schroeder) Yantis
Head Coach, Creative Director
NFHS/KSHSAA Kansas Dance Coach of the Year 2023
Coach Yantis is the Head Coach and Creative Director for the Saint Thomas Aquinas Dance Program. This is her 16th year with the program. After falling head over heels in love with dance after her first tap class in elementary school, Tara’s childhood and teen years were spent in the Kansas City area training in studios and traveling each weekend for competitions and conventions. She went on to dance at the collegiate level and later as a professional arena football cheerleader before hanging up her pom poms to enter a career focused on her truest loves - coaching and giving back to the dance world that has given her so much.
A member of the Kansas City Dance Expressions "Express" Power Performing Arts Company, Tara traveled to and competed at competitions including New York City Dance Alliance, West Coast Dance Explosion, Co. Dance, Starlight and Showbiz, among many others. She was selected to be an NYCDA Showcase Dancer and earned numerous awards with solo and group performances, earning top 10 placements and the team titles of National and World Champion.
Other performance credits include Carnival Cruiselines, Home Depot, Country Tonight in Branson, MO, pre-show for Theatre in the Park, an event at the Kansas Expocentre for the President of the United States, NCA/NDA Collegiate Cheer and Dance Championship Finals in Daytona Beach, FL, and numerous public appearances, corporate and brand promotions.
Tara graduated from Washburn University in Topeka, Kansas, in 2009, earning a bachelor’s degree in Mass Media with a dual emphasis in Public Relations and Media Writing/Publishing. She was a four-year member of the Dancing Blues (the game-day dance team) as well as the nationally-ranked “Washburn Elite” Nationals Dance Squad, serving as captain of both teams. She went on to dance professionally as also an arena football cheerleader for 4 years, serving as a captain and choreographer for two years.
Each summer, Tara travels around the country for the Varsity Spirit, the leading brand in spirit, working with high school and collegiate dance teams and coaches. After being named the National Rookie Instructor of the Year in 2008 for the National Dance Alliance (NDA), Tara was promoted to Head Instructor in 2009 and is entering her 18th season with the company. Tara was the national delegate for NDA, traveling to London, England, for the London New Year’s Day Parade, facilitating performances by 1,600+ performers from across the United States. The parade was viewed by an estimated 300 million people worldwide. Tara authors Varsity Spirit's professional development program, utilized by more than 50,000 customers each summer, helping coaches and programs across the country reach their goals. Tara was recognized as the inaugural recipient of the NCA/NDA "The Work is Worth It" award for her contributions to both cheerleading and dance industries and he was also the national NDA "Excellence in Leadership" recipient in 2015.
Tara is an in-demand adjudicator, judging at the high school, regional, all-star and collegiate levels, and a motivational speaker and consultant for numerous dance programs, most recently speaking at the Nebraska Coaches Association Conference, Varsity Dance Coaches National Conference and an 8-city coast-to-coast tour. Tara is also a guest Master Class instructor and panel judge for Innovative Choreography and spent 7 years in studio settings, teaching students from pre-K to college in both recreational and competitive levels. Tara's innovative and inclusive leadership style has created a welcoming program where student athletes can learn, grow and thrive, an approach that has been modeled by programs across the country.
In 2023, Tara was named the NFHS/KSHSAA Kansas Dance Coach of the Year. She is a founding member and Executive Director of the Kansas State Dance Team Coaches Association. She also serves on the Executive Board of NCDA as a National High School Representative, is the KCA co-chair for Spirit and the co-chair of the first-ever Spirit Advisory Committee to the KSHSAA.
Outside of dance team, Tara works full-time in advertising, Coach Tara can be contacted via email at: tyantis@stasaints.net
Tiera Baskin
Assistant Coach, Junior Varsity Lead
Born in Landstuhl, Germany and raised in Kansas, Coach Teira (Coach T) has been dancing since the age of five and is excited to bring her passion for the art of dance to STADT! Tiera’s background includes training in studios in addition to her dance team journey that started in middle school with the Santa Fe Trail Cyclones Dance Team (where she later coached!), followed by dancing under the leadership of Sarah Heptig as part of the Olathe North Eaglettes. She later danced under Amy Sellers with the National Champion Johnson County Community College Golden Girls and professionally with the Comets MSL dance team.
As a devoted mother and lifelong dancer, Tiera values dedication, joy and teamwork. Her love for dance continues to be a source of creativity, discipline and self-expression in all stages of life and she looks forward to guiding members of STADT through these life long, life enriching lessons.
In her free time, she enjoys traveling, being outdoors and spending meaningful time with her daughter. Tiera believes in building a positive, inclusive team culture where every dancer feels empowered to grow— not just as a performer, but as a person.
Tiera is eager to join the coaching staff at Saint Thomas Aquinas and looks forward to cheering on our dancers every step of the way this season! Go Saints!
Tiera’s favorite quote:
“Success isn’t about how much money you make; it’s about the difference you make in people’s lives.”
-Michelle Obama
Claire Williams
Assistant Coach, Varsity Lead
Born and raised in Denham Springs, Louisiana, Coach Claire moved to Kansas after getting married in August of 2024.
Coach Claire started dancing in 4th grade at a talent show with friends and fell in love. Her dance team journey began on her middle school and high school dance teams (Live Oak Middle and Live Oak High), and she also trained at Jean Leigh Academy of Dance. She went on to dance for the D1 Dance Program, Louisiana Tech University Regal Blues for four years, earning Rookie of the Year her freshman year and later serving as Co-Captain for two years. During her time with Louisiana Tech, she competed at UDA College Nationals in the iconic ESPN Wide World of Sports Arena, leading her team to an impressive and coveted top 10 finish in the nation.
Coach Claire’s choreography drove halftime performances at Louisiana Tech and following her collegiate career she was a faculty member and choreographer at Molly Myers Dance Academy.
Coach Claire loves spending time with her husband and their two kittens as well as reading whenever she can - grabbing Raisin’ Canes and a movie is their favorite pastime! She’s loved being in Kansas so far and knows she’s going to love being a part of the incredible Saints community. She is excited to put her heart into helping every STADT student athlete become the best dancers and people they can be while also striving to reach their goals both individually and as a team.
Aleia Neal
Assistant Coach, Growth and Development Lead
Born and raised in Kansas, Coach Aleia started dancing at the age of 8. Her first solo, “Shake Your Groove Thing,” brought her so much joy that she never wanted to stop dancing. After studio training, she danced under Sarah Heptig with the National Champion Olathe North Eaglettes. During her tenure, she was part of the leadership team and earned the prestigious Excellence in Leadership award at NDA Dance Camp her senior year. She continued her dance career on academic and athletic scholarship at the also prestigious National Champion Hawaii Pacific University in Honolulu, Hawaii while pursuing medicine. Go Sharks!
Upon moving back to Kansas, Coach Aleia joined the faculty at Miss Maria’s Dance helping run their competition team. During her time with the studio, dancers under her leadership earned multiple awards with a focus on accepting results with grace and gratitude. Coach Aleia also joined Dance Team Union and Inferno in 2019 as an Event Director and coordinator of merchandising, also MC’ing high school and college camps, competitions and nationals. She is grateful for her time with DTU during her formative young adult years, teaching her life lessons while also growing as a dancer, choreographer and a leader.
Coach Aleia has two dogs, Carter and Pawl! They are her pride and joy. She loves to spend her free time being active with them, reading, trying new foods, attending church, working out and spending time with family. In addition to coaching, Coach Aleia is a surgical first assistant helping with total joint replacements and sports medicine surgical cases with Saint Lukes. Helping people has always been a passion of Coach Claire’s and she is grateful for health and opportunities to do so.
She is very excited to bring her passion and experience to STADT! She looks forward to mentoring and growing our dancers, and becoming a vibrant member of the Saints community. Let’s go Saints!
Prospective Parent & Dancer Information
Prospective Parents and Dancers,
Thank you for inquiring about our program and stopping by our website! We invite you to get to know a bit more about our program by exploring the information provided on the tabs to your right.
You will find a lot of information and I would like to direct you to the following sections with links located on the right hand side of the site:
- Calendar of Events
- Coaching Staff ~ learn more about the coaches who lead our program
- Traditions
- Spirit Memories & Performance Videos
- 2024-2025 Tryout Information ~ Check out the information on the site!
- FAQs ~ get the answers to all those questions you might have!
The Saint Thomas Aquinas Dance Program is comprised of talented and dedicated dancers selected through a tryout process each spring. We perform at home soccer, football and basketball games throughout the school year as well as various community events and competitions. Our season is truly year-round. As such, dance team must be considered the dancer’s extra curricular priority. With that said, 100% of our team members are involved in numerous enriching activities and clubs in addition to dance team including school musicals, student council, outside studio dance companies and many, many more. We believe involvement in these activities is critical to each dancer’s overall development, so long as it doesn’t create a burden on their studies. Academics are a top priority for our program. Finding a healthy balance between academics and extracurricular activities is a top priority for each dancer and the coaching staff is committed to helping each dancer reach their highest potential in all areas of their high school experience.
The Spirits are dedicated to performing at the highest level each time we take the field or the floor, bringing entertaining, challenging routines for our crowds to enjoy. The long tradition of excellence, set by teams that have come before us, motivates us to "practice hard, dance harder" throughout our season, working as one TEAM. Some of our top priorities include supporting our fantastic athletic teams and exhibiting what it means to be a "Spirit" on and off the field.
However, being a Spirit is so much more than dancing on the sidelines. In addition to performances and competitions, Spirits complete numerous hours of community service each year, averaging 1,200+ hours per season! We also find time to bond as a team through fun activities several times each semester. Please follow our social media accounts for highlights! @sta_dance on Instagram and @aquinasdance on Twitter.
One of the key ingredients to our program's legacy of excellence are the incredibly dedicated parents that invest their time and energy into our dance program. Parent volunteers coordinate numerous activities for our dancers and provide support in many ways both behind the scenes and cheering from the stands. We simply could not do what we do without them!
If you have any questions at all about our program, please don’t hesitate to let us know. And, if you’re ever at a game or event, please introduce yourself. We look forward to hearing from you!
Dancingly,
Tara Yantis
Head Dance Team Coach
Spirits Road To Nationals
The Varsity Spirits wrapped up a successful season in Denton, Texas at the American Dance/Drill Team Nationals! It was a fun and successful weekend with team-building events, including an outing to the Dallas Cowboys Headquarters "The Star" in Frisco, TX, the Forth Worth Stockyards, a hip hop class with a Dallas Cowboys Rhythm and Blue Dancer + local hip hop crew, and time to showcase their dances from the season on the big University of Northern Texas stage.
We competed alongside 91 other teams with more than 700 routines throughout the weekend.
A quick overview of results -
1st Place National Champions Game Day/Pep Rally (aka our State routine)
- Our 3rd win historically in this category
- This routine also earned the Texas Motion Sports "Wow Factor" Award - only 15 routines out of more than 700 were selected as top "judges choice" routines, earning this distinction. Our 3rd win of this award for our State routine over the years. Incredible!
- 1st Place National Champions Lyrical (aka Goodbye Yellowbrick Road)
- Our first win historically in this category!
- 1st Place National Academic Champions
- Team GPA of 3.98, low for us but still did the trick!
- 2nd Runner Up (aka 3rd place) overall in Small Teams
- Highest overall placement in program history! Our previous highest was 5th place.
- We were only 2 points out of 2nd and 6 points out of 1st. VERY achievable in the future!
- Gussie Nell Davis Award of Excellence
- All teams that compete at least 3 team routines and earn a 92 or above from all judges in all categories for all routines. Only 38, teams earned this distinction.
CAPTAINS:
- 2nd Runner Up (aka 3rd place) overall in Small Teams
- Earned PERFECT 20 out of 20 scores from all judges on choreography - it was SELF-choreographed by our students!
SOLOS/DUETS:
- 1st Place National Champion Small Team Solo Winner - Sophomore, Oakley Jones (highest solo placement in program history!)
- 3rd Runner Up (aka 4th place) Tied Small Team Solos - Juniors, Emma Cox and Natalie Coughlin
- 1st Runner Up (aka 2nd place) overall in Small Team Duets - Juniors, Kaitlyn Mazzei and Elizabeth Pitzl
- 2nd Runner Up (aka 3rd place) overall in Small Team Duets - Juniors, Emma Cox and Kaitlyn Mazzei
Congrats 2024-2025 Varsity Dance Team! We are so happy for you!
Winter Finale
The Spirit Storm rolled through Saint Thomas Aquinas on February 25 with the JV and Varsity's Winter Finale! And what a storm it was! The dancers showcased their hard work and dedication from the year to a packed crowd cheering them on. Highlights included class dances, team dances, individual dances and the annual Senior Dad & Daughter dance. Next stop, Nationals! Well done, Spirits!
Spirit Traditions
S.O.A.R. ~ Spirits on a Rampage is our battle cry. It is the conclusion of our team chant, that you’ll hear echoing a few minutes before each of our performance. It also represents our mission: To relentlessly pursue excellence on and off the field, and to make a positive and meaningful impact on our classmates, neighbors and future Spirits.
S&S ~ ‘Sparkle and Shine’ is our team motto. As a team, we strive to excellence in all areas. Whether it is on the football field or the basketball court, the classroom or the commons before school, Spirits truly ‘sparkle and shine’ in any setting, seeking to be their best at all times.
Stars ~ The star is our trademark symbol. A tradition started many years ago, the Spirits wear a gold star sticker or gem near the left eye for every performance. Sometimes this is paired with the Aquinas shield under the right eye.
Big Spirit/Little Spirit ~ Within each team, rookies are paired with veterans for mentoring throughout the season.
Families ~ There are six dance team ‘families’ within our program, which are comprised of dancers from each grade. The purpose of dance team families is to further promote mentoring opportunities for our veterans and resources for our younger dancers.
Team Prayer ~ Coming together as a team in prayer is an essential part of our preparation. We close each practice and enter each performance with student-led prayer.
Weekly Mass ~ We attend mass as a team on a weekly basis.
Team dinners ~ The Varsity squad gathers together before each home football game.
Football Tailgate ~ One time each season, we come together as a program and host a family tailgate before a home football game.
Spirits Photo Memories
All the hard work and practices are worth it! The Spirits' dedication towards dance and Aquinas fans shows in their Game Day Performances, Pep Rallies, Competitions & Community Service Hours. Hours of dance practice go into their performances. They help bring the SPIRIT to all the events they are involved in!
A shout-out to our amazing Seniors as they complete their years on the Spirits dance team. Thanks for all the fun, dedication, support and leadership! We will miss you next year!
A big thank you to our school photographer, Michelle Grees, who goes above and beyond to capture these wonderful moments for the Saint Thomas Aquinas community!
Dance Team FAQs
The following are provided to assist you in learning more about the Saint Thomas Aquinas Spirits Dance Team. If you don't find the answer to your question, please contact Head Coach Tara Yantis at tyantis@stasaints.net
What are tryouts like?
Tryouts for our program take place in April and typically last three days. Dancers are required to audition each year. Dancers will be required to learn and perform a team dance (incorporates jazz, pom, kick, and hip hop), a kick combination, and across-the-floor technique progressions. Dancers are also required to complete a tryout application and will be asked to answer an interview question during the tryout process. The judging panel is comprised of dance professionals from a variety of backgrounds.
How should I prepare for tryouts?
While previous dance experience is not a requirement to audition for our program, most prospective dancers take studio class in preparation for our spring tryouts. Ballet, leaps/turns, hip hop and dance team prep classes are recommended for those dancers who are not already a part of a competitive studio program. We also host free prep classes each Spring in the month leading up to auditions.
Can I be involved in studio dance AND high school dance team?
Yes! Many of our dancers participate in outside studio dance at both competitive and recreational levels. These commitments should be carefully considered and balanced by each family. While there are typically some schedule conflicts between studio dance and high school dance team, Coaches make every effort to accommodate schedules with the intent of reducing stress on each dancer.
What are practices like and how often does the team practice?
We hold a regular weekly practice schedule that varies by team. Varsity practices three times a week. These practices incorporate a combination of conditioning, warm up, technique, team building, choreography instruction and cleaning. Additional practices/rehearsals are scheduled on an as-needed basis.
2022-2023 Regular Season Practice Schedule
Tuesdays 6:00-7:30am Varsity + JV
Thursdays 6:00-7:30am Varsity every week + JV every other week
Fridays 3:30-5:30pm Varsity + JV
All practices are mandatory. Please refer to the Attendance Policy for communication of any unavoidable absences.
What happens if I need to miss a practice?
Dancers who have a conflict with a practice or performance are required to send an absence request to the coach via email with as much advanced notice as possible. Please refer to the Attendance Policy for our communication process. Absences or tardiness to practices and performances earn ‘strikes’. Dancers are responsible to learn choreography and cleaning points missed before the next practice. Dancers who miss the last practice before a game performance, or the week of practices before competition or Winter Finale, will not be eligible to perform under most circumstances – this will be managed at the discretion of the coach.
Is there a Spring Show?
Our performance season concludes each year with our annual Winter Finale showcase. Typically at the end of February, this show is comprised of our award-winning routines from the year. We invite our community, family and friends to enjoy this evening of entertainment!
How much does it cost?
Costs are outlined for parents at our pre-tryout and season kick off meetings. Costs vary by tenure with the program as we make every effort to consolidate costs each year and select items that can be used for more than one season.
Does the dance team compete?
Yes! In addition to our performances throughout the year, we participate in several dance team contests per season.
Yard Signs
CELEBRATE BEING A SAINT!
STA Spirits Dance Team is pleased to offer STA Yard Signs and Rider where you can honor your student with an STA sign personalizing their activities and involvement at STA!
To personalize the sign, up to 4 Riders can be added to the sign. Popular choices include: Football, Band, Soccer, Cheerleading, Choir, Volleyball, Baseball, Cross Country, Golf, Tennis, Yearbook, Newspaper, Basketball, Softball, STUCO, Swimming, Dance Team. You may also customize your rider with your Student’s Name or Class Year or celebrate being a state champ with a State Champs rider or being a graduate from STA with an Alumni rider.
STA Yard Signs are 21” x 21” and are made of 6mm, white, all-weather material mounted on 4’ posts.
The Yard Sign is $65 (There has been a $10 increase due to manufacturer's cost)
Each rider is $25 each
Both the signs and riders have a 3% credit card processing fee.
All payments are made through this order process and once your order is ready, you will be contacted via email.
If you have any questions, please contact the STA Dance Team sign email at stasigns@stasaints.net
The STA Spirits thank you for your support!
* Required
2024-2025 Team Tryouts
2024-2025 Team Tryouts: March 19-22, 2024
Scheduling Details:
- Friday, March 1 Tryout applications released (we distribute this through social media, on our website, and to anyone who has signed up for our prospects email list)
- Tuesday, March 5 | 6-7am | (Optional) Tryout Prep Clinic $5 | Commons - no scoring, evaluation or bonus points for attending
- Tuesday, March 12 | 6-7am | (Optional) Tryout Prep Clinic $5 | Commons - no scoring, evaluation or bonus points for attending
- Friday, March 15 Tryout application due (by midnight)
- Tuesday, March 19 | 5-9pm | Tryout Clinic #1 | Main Gym
- Wednesday, March 20 | 5-9pm | Tryout Clinic #2 | Main Gym
- Thursday, March 21 | 5-9pm | Tryout Review + Mock Tryout | Main Gym
- Friday, March 22 | 5pm start time | Formal Tryouts for the 2023-2024 team | Main Gym
- Saturday, March 23 Team results announced no later than 10am (we'll have to talk about how to push this quickly with the approval process)
Content:
- Fight Song (those that attend the pre-tryout clinics actual get the bonus opportunity to learn this early)
- Sideline + Chant
- Game-Day Style Performance Routine (likely around 8 8counts/1min)
- Spiriting/Rallying
- Technical progressions including leaps, turns, kicks and jumps
- Optional bonus skill
Quick FAQs:
- We do not take a certain or predetermined number of dancers. The number of graduating seniors does not equate to an "open number of spots" on the team or on Varsity, specifically
- Freshmen-Seniors are eligible to make all team levels (including Freshmen on Varsity and Seniors on JV). Dancers will indicate the teams they would like to be considered for on their tryout application and should consider this question carefully.
- Score sheet structure is shared in complete transparency ahead of tryouts
- Judges are selected based on professional qualifications and lack of conflict of interest
- Attire for clinics is at dancers' preference; Attire for the actual tryout is all black w/ any color jazz or style of jazz shoes.
- Hair and make up is up to the dancer's personal comfort. Hair should be secured out of the face.
- We send out videos and music each night after tryouts for practice purposes but NOT before.
- If dancers have major, unavoidable and once-in-a-lifetime conflicts with any part of tryouts (i.e. Confirmation), they should contact Head Coach Tara Yantis asap to coordinate alternative options.
Contact Head Coach Tara Yantis with any questions. tyantis@stasaints.net 913-205-9785