While most students balance a mix of classes and extracurriculars, junior Katie Loebach goes beyond just balancing Poms, AP classes and dancing by practicing a variety of different dance styles which help her to stand out as a member of the varsity Poms team.

Loebach has been dancing since she was four, and her extensive knowledge of different dance styles such as ballet, jazz, contemporary, lyrical, tap and hip hop adds a new focus to many of this year’s Poms routines.

Fueling her passion for dance, Loebach rehearses at the Studio of Ballet Arts (SBA) when she is not hard at work with Poms.

“I’ve always really loved dance because it’s such a great way to release energy and stress. I feel motivated to keep dancing because it’s honestly something I really enjoy doing, so much that it’s worth all of the stress,” Loebach said.

Poms coach Megan Freed has worked with Loebach since Loebach’s freshman year, closely tracking her progress and working with her to improve Pom routines.

“Katie stands out because she is simply so talented at dance. She picks up new choreography very quickly and is often able to come up with new creative ideas that make choreography even better. She also has beautiful extension and poise,” Freed said.

Loebach’s interest in Poms first started when she was recommended by a friend to be on RHSa�� Pom team and tried out the summer before her freshman year.

Loebach estimates that she spends around eight hours a week at Poms practices, and nine to 12 dancing.
Paige Friedeman manages Loebach’s SBA team and has worked with her for two years.

“Poms is similar to dance team in the technical requirements, the main difference is the style of dancing itself with poms in your hand versus without them,” Friedeman said. “She brings her heart out with her on the floor every time, no matter the arena and it is what makes her a successful dancer for both teams.”

Along with her extracurricular activities, Loebach is also an AP student and a member of the Echoes Literary Magazine. With all the activities she balances, Loebach has learned how to manage her time in order to succeed.

“I just kinda try to take things one activity at a time, and put all my focus into one thing before I move on to the next,” she said.