By Kat Stelly, The Times-Picayune

The Academy of Our Lady dance team, the Crystalettes, took a bite out of the Big Apple last month when they headed to New York for the Champion Dance Nationals.

The team won seven trophies, including a best in category for prop dance, a first place in prop dance, a first place in open dance, and a first place in lyrical dance. Yet another first place was earned in the small-ensemble category, which included team captain Morgan Weber, co-captains April Johnson and Courtney Hock, and lieutenant Elizabeth Macke. The hip-hop and jazz categories garnered the team two-second place trophies. Veronica Bridges, head coach, and Melissa Guidry, assistant coach, direct the Crystalettes.