According to school officials, Jenny Sweet, head coach of the Academy of the Holy Angels’ acclaimed dance team, prepares for the new season with energy, optimism, and 41 members.
This is the Academy’s largest team since the dance program was organized 12 years ago with Sweet at the helm and her first team had just 14 dancers.
Honors and awards are already pouring in. AHA’s dancers just completed the Universal Dance Association Camp at Spooky Nook Sports in Manheim, Pennsylvania, where the varsity, junior varsity, and middle school teams qualified for Nationals.
The high school dancers earned a perfect score.
Six Angels were named All-Americans and received an invitation to participate in the 2023 London New Year’s Day Parade. AHA’s honorees are Katie Fragola, Jordyn Wynn, Isabella McMahon, Maddie Krol, Emily Kho, and Annabella de Leon.
Varsity dancer Milena Hiza, JV dancer Chloe Kwon, and middle school dancer Cristyn Lindsay brought home the Pin it Forward Award for their work ethic and overall passion in each class. In addition, the UDA staff recognized the Academy for outstanding leadership and energy.
UDA’s sleep-away camp included four days of performances, master classes, bonding opportunities, and leadership exercises.
“Every year, our Holy Angels dancers amaze and re-energize me, always bringing their best effort to raise the bar,” Sweet said. “This is our largest team in dance team history, and we are excited for what is to come this season!”
Asked about the roster increase, Sweet pointed to the team’s constant push to evolve and boost the new middle school team. She highlighted the benefit of working with the middle school dancers for seven years instead of four, mainly since the youngest Angels are at a crucial point in their dance development.
Sweet works with JV Coach Alyssa Aponte and Middle School Coach Kristen DePeri.
Captains for the 2022-23 season include Varsity: Katie Fragola and Noelle Wacker and JV: Isabella McMahon and Alexandra Nicholas, and MS: Bella de Leon, Emily Kho, and Maddie Krol.
The varsity roster includes Katie Fragola, Noelle Wacker, Jordyn Wynn, Karis Cho, Juliet Gelineau, Maggie Yu, Mackenzie Crimmins, Emily Figueroa, Milena Hiza, Ava McAdams, Quinn Reicherz, Auden Cho, Julia Struhs, and Samantha Zeccardi. JV dancers are Isabella McMahon, Maggie Danahy, Alexandra Nicholas, Caelyn Lindsay, Olivia Leys, Gianna Pasquale, Kat Bing, Caroline Kartman, Chloe Kwon, Stella Chung, Alexis David, Lyla Dove, Madeline Lee, Kate Rifon, Cyia Sabathia, and Leyla Ziemba.
Members of the AHA Middle School Team are Annabella de Leon, Emily Kho, Maddie Krol, Kayleigh McGee, Ava Cifelli, Sophia Garzon, Cristyn Lindsay, Isa Rodriguez, Viv Van Ost, Camilla Martinez, and Gemma Alvarez.
Founded by the School Sisters of Notre Dame in 1879, the Academy of the Holy Angels is the oldest private girls’ school in Bergen County.
While AHA is steeped in Catholic tradition, this prestigious school serves young women from diverse cultural and religious backgrounds.
Over time, thousands of women have passed through AHA’s portals, and many go on to study at some of the nation’s best universities, earning high-ranking positions in medicine, government, law, education, public service, business, arts, and athletics.
The Academy’s current leaders continue to further the SSND mission to provide each student with the tools she needs to reach the fullness of her potential—spiritually, intellectually, socially, and physically, by offering a first-rate education in a nurturing environment where equal importance is placed on academic excellence, character development, moral integrity, and service to others.