Japanese student dance teams show their best stuff in U.S.

When it came to "go time," dance squads from two high schools in Japan didn't get stage fright at a national U.S. dance team competition on March 4.

The dance team of Kanazawa-sogo High School in Kanagawa Prefecture, named D-Freaks, received the highest honors in the international team performance category of the 2012 NDA National Championship, the Japan Cheer Dance Association said.

The Jets dance squad of Fukui Commercial High School in Fukui Prefecture placed second in the competition, held in Orlando, Florida, on March 3 and 4, the association said.

"The girls did all they had done in practice sessions," said Jets adviser Yuko Igarashi. "Their performance was great."

U.S. teams that had cleared qualifying rounds and teams from other countries competed in the international team performance category, which was established this year. The two Japanese teams and four U.S. squads advanced to the final round, where D-Freaks was rated at 9.794 out of 10 and Jets scored a 9.65.

D-Freaks took first place in the high school category at the 2007 championship.

"Former members offered coaching and gave advice to the active members all along," said Kimie Seito, one of the team's advisers. "I believed them because I was confident about their skills."

The Jets won in the high school category in 2009 and last year in the senior variety class for club teams.