Jillian Vandale was drawn to dance at a young age because it gave her a chance to display her individuality, and she has certainly expressed herself on the floor while contributing to the Branford dance team’s unheralded success.

Jillian and Branford finished first in both the Small Varsity Jazz and Hip Hop Divisions to mark the team’s 25th state crown overall on Feb. 25 at the CIAC State Championships at Hamden High School, with its 15th in the hip hop category and 10th for Small Varsity Jazz. It was also the eighth consecutive season that the Hornets harvested dual state championships. Jillian personally earned both All-State Team and All-State Academic Team accolades.

“I came to the realization that dance was better for me because it helped me be able to express myself,” says Jillian. “What helped me and the team this year was the bond we had and the teamwork. It was something we were missing last year, but the chemistry was incredible this season. Earning All-State was really special for me. When I was younger, I saw the veteran girls on the team earn All-State, and I looked up to them.”

As she sees the sport of competitive dance slowly and steadily gaining traction and attraction of fans, Jillian finds the closeness of the athletes amongst the schools quite delightful while additionally gaining affirmation from her peers.

“It is rewarding to see the sportsmanship of the sport and see everyone from the different schools come together as a group and community,” Jillian says. “It is so great to hear people from other teams in the hallways at competitions congratulate you. Some of the hardships are that it can be hard to get the recognition we deserve. Some people do not understand what competitive dance is all about. But the past few years, we have been getting more recognition, which is nice.”

Branford dance Head Coach Megan Palluzzi champions that Jillian was a grand ambassador and facilitator between her teammates and mentors on a Hornets’ squad that still succeeded despite its small numbers.

“Jill is a strong athlete, woman, and student and is always the best advocate for her team and the coaches,” says Palluzzi. “She stands up for what she believes in and has great communication between the team and coaches. Her teammates have a great respect for her and appreciate her for always checking in on them and making them feel heard. Her and [senior co-captain Ava DeMilo] both came into the season unknowing what to expect with the smallest team in program history and chose to lead with honesty, kindness, and by putting the team’s happiness first. They set goals for the team to work hard, dedicated themselves to a season that would be fun and full of love, and never gave up on leading a legacy.”

Piloting a small group may seem intimidating to others, though Jillian saw the club as cozy and close-knit, which in turn made it all that much easier and more satisfying to guide to greatness this past month.

“It was a small team this year, but what was nice was that we had such a close bond, so being captain was not a scary role for me,” says Jillian. “It was both so rewarding and amazing to lead this team this year. It was hard to go up against the bigger teams, but leading them through it was out of this world.”

As Jillian and the Hornets added to their already bustling postseason trophy case and helped put up new state-championship banners to the Branford gymnasium, she was grateful to give back to such a sound and supportive family.

“It was the team’s 25th title this year, and it was really incredible to continue the legacy before us and contribute to its success,” Jillian says. “It has been an incredible web of support from the team and coaches, and it is great to make them proud.”

Spending time in the Hornets’ hive helped Jillian harvest essential non-athletic attributes and traits as well. She notes that while she will look to move forward on the floor of dance, Jillian hopes her heart and hustle inspire the future captains of the club.

“The Branford dance team has been really influential on me, and it has helped me really grow as a person,” says Jillian. “I became more confident as a leader the last four years, and the team really helped me bring out my leadership qualities that I did not have when I started here. I want to continue competitive dance in college, and I hopefully influenced others to continue the leadership process.”