It’s the start of a new school year, which means a new batch of freshmen are joining us here at Niles West. The class of 2020 is roaming the halls with confused yet excited faces. Freshman Leilani Cifuentes is very excited for her first year of high school and has already joined the sport she loves most — poms.

Cifuentes made the Varsity Poms team, which is a rare accomplishment for a freshman.

“I was actually in shock. I thought I was going to make JV, so it was such a shocking moment, but I was happy,” Cifuentes said.

Cifuentes started dancing at 10 years old as a way to get distracted from the outside world and the problems it came with.

“It all started because stuff was going on in my family, so I found it [dancing] as an escape from my family problems,” Cifuentes said.

She realized she had a passion for dancing as soon as she started dancing for Studio 22 High Tek in 5th grade. Cifuentes has accomplished a lot in her dancing career. She went to nationals two times last year in January, which took place in Orlando, Florida, at the ESPN Wide World of Sports complex. Cifuentes’s studio won second place, then went to Summit, which is the biggest competition in nation. 

Dancing is a way for Cifuentes to express herself and let her feelings out.

“I enjoy it because it’s the way I can express myself and it’s just fun,” Cifuentes said.

Cifuentes is an important member of the Niles West Varsity Poms team. She brings the team up as a whole and helps them succeed together. Cifuentes’ teammates take in all her accomplishments and appreciate what her skill can do for the team.

“Well, I mean obviously her team won nationals three years in a row and I think that bringing her on our varsity team is definitely going to up our level and make us do a lot better at competitions,” junior and varsity teammate Elizabeth Chin said.

Cifuentes has left her mark on the varsity poms team.

“She definitely brings a lot of, like, charisma to the team,” Chin said. “And she’s like obviously really good since she’s a freshman and she made varsity, and she has a lot of good technique and style and it really brings the team up.”

Having Cifuentes around on the varsity team doesn’t only impact the team’s skill, but she also brings a positive attitude to practice.

“She is just a really happy person in general, and she’s not really depressed or whatever, she’s just really fun and always happy,” junior and varsity teammate Brianna Diclementi said.

Cifuentes will continue dancing and hopes to one day be able to dance with the Chicago Luvabulls. Although Cifuentes doesn’t want dancing to be her future full-time job, she is interested in being a part-time choreographer when she is older.