At the State Championships, the Branford dance team emerged in the top spot for several categories to re-assert its dominance as the preeminent program in Connecticut, and arguably one of the more decorated dynasties in the Northeast.

For the competition on Feb. 24 at Hamden High School, the Hornets swarmed to first place in several divisions–marking the 16th hip hop and 11th jazz state crowns overall, while Branford has emerged with dual gold for the now ninth consecutive year. Head Coach Megan Palluzzi detailed that the girls are certainly well educated on the prestige of the past feats of the program, and so they wanted to certainly cement their own unique chapter on it.

“Winning these titles means the absolute world. Heading into the State Championship every year, while extremely exciting, is also extremely nerve wracking when trying to defend titles that are harder to earn each and every year. This was the 16th hip-hop and 11th jazz titles for Branford overall, and our ninth consecutive year double titling at the State Championship, and that pressure is definitely felt,” said Palluzzi. “This team thrives on the legacy that was built before, it and is reminded often of its success from our alumni, who support us endlessly. The girls' big goal this year was to make every performance better than the last, and, in both routines, they were successful with that.”

As one of those alumni by being a member of the dance squad’s inaugural state crown in 2007, Palluzzi saw the motivation in the girls’ eyes and collective spirit. They each wanted to add their names to the Hornets’ gymnasium decorum with its smallest roster.

“For the championship itself, the girls wanted to be the first word of the sentence on a new banner that would have to be made in the gym if they secured a state title in 2024. They reminded each other of that as they performed, and in the practices leading up to the championship,” said Palluzzi. “Celebrating with this team felt like celebrating the first, and I’ll never forget the excitement in their bodies and their faces to wear those medals with pride, and to know they left everything on the floor that day, and that they did it with the smallest number of dancers Branford has ever put out on the floor.”

With the showings for the actual competition, the Hornets’ hip-hop routine this year went back to some Branford dance foundations, with some cool and innovative tricks and floor work. The routine mixed a 2000s vibe of songs that the girls fell in love with the first day they heard it.

“It exudes confidence, celebration, and just having a good time with your friends and at states, the girls showed just that. Their tricks were flawless, the fight in their performance and communication was unbelievable, and their faces put on a show,” Palluzzi said. “We had a dancer who has been out on injury all season compete for the very first time in almost a year at states, and to see her take the stage flawlessly was a very proud moment for us coaches, and the team in general. Coming off the floor for this one felt electric for this team, and there is truly no better feeling!”

The jazz routine is one that brought pure joy to the stage and was one of Branford’s hardest routines yet from a technical perspective. The song the girls danced to was called “Banks” by NEED TO BREATHE, and it truly symbolized the mission and creed for the club.

“It felt like a perfect choice for this year’s team, brought to us by our new Assistant Coach, Jessie Pantani. The lyrics say, ‘it doesn’t matter if we win or lose, I wanna hold you close but never hold you back, “if you ever feel like you are not enough, I’m gonna break all your mirrors,’” said Palluzzi. “And all of the above are words the team lived by this season and sang to each other before each and every performance. They brought light to the floor with their performance, and you could feel across the room that the girls connected with each other. In a world that is tough on dancers as athletes and women in general, this song and this routine celebrated everything we love about each other, and for the strong women in our lives.”

The team this year is comprised of seniors Mia Borzillo (captain), Fiona Brunson (captain), and Sadie Zalewski; juniors Isabella Iagrossi and Meredith Rebmann; plus freshmen Luna Elston, Stella Elston, and Mia Sekerovic. Brunson and Zalewski additionally made the All-State Team on the day.

“This year, we have grown tremendously from the start of the season until now, growing stronger and stronger every week. From the very beginning, when we got both our routines, we made a promise to each other to make a choice every time we stepped out to perform, and to tell the audience our story as we danced, which is what we did performance after performance,” said Brunson. “From the moment we ran off the floor at states, we just knew we put it all out there, and that both performances were our best to date, and that was what meant everything to us, no matter what the outcome would’ve been. We made it all count, and getting the chance to defend both our titles again this year was something so special.”

No matter how small their size was in quantity, the Hornets as a team truly learned to welcome each other, regardless of class or level of experience. They additionally never played the blame game whenever a miscue occurred or hurdle arose.

“When we first got started this year, we didn’t realize the adjustment it would be on the team in having no sophomores, and a gap in age between the freshman class and the upperclassmen. While everyone was nice and friendly to each other, it was a chance to find everyone’s roles and responsibilities on the team as it got started and having almost half the team be so young and new,” said Palluzzi. “This team now loves each other so much, fights for each other every day, and laughs so hard with each other while dancing their hearts out. They don’t blame each other for anything, and respect each other’s thoughts and opinions in the most mature way. The seniors did a great job of explaining the importance of each step of the season along the way to the freshmen. Our juniors did a great job of balancing both ends, and our freshmen did a great job of adjusting and diving into the team culture and traditions.”

Borzillo explained that while the Hornets certainly had a target on their backs entering the campaign, they materialized their dream with savvy veterans and superb newcomers. She added that through all the various performances across different venues, they peaked at the right time.

“We had high expectations, with five returning members from last year’s double state title winning team, and with the addition of three talented freshmen, we knew that winning double titles was within our grasp. We knew we had to put in a lot of the hard work, and with the guidance of our dedicated coaches we were ready, and we performed the best we have all year in those two performances,” said Borzillo. “We start the season at summer camp, then choreography weekends, many football and basketball games, local competitions, and nationals, that all lead up to our final performance at states. I felt like states was the best performance we’ve had all year.”

The Hornets next set their sights on the New England Championships later this month. In the interim, the girls will look to the rave reviews on their prior performances to make the future ones even more acclaimed and championship-worthy. But more importantly, as they have done since the start of this journey, they will enjoy the companionship and camaraderie amongst one another.

“The team’s mindset has been to make each performance better than the last, so in the last two weeks of the season heading to the New England Championship, it will be just that again,” Palluzzi said. “We will watch the performances from states, review judges’ feedback, and see what we can do in our final five practices to make it just one step better, and to have our final two performances be our best. The last competition of the year is always emotional for the team, as it’s the last time this team of eight will compete together, and fight to give their seniors the best they can in their final four minutes on the floor. These last two weeks are about celebrating all we’ve accomplished, being excited to spend two more weeks together, and leaving no regrets on the floor in our final performances and just having fun.”