The stars were shining on Lindbergh High School’s new all-inclusive dance team recently as they performed alongside the LHS Flyerettes during the Homecoming football game, one of the biggest events of the school calendar.

The Shining Stars team includes students in Special School District programs and members of the Flyerettes dance team. It is led by Maddie Lake, who is a member of the Flyerettes and a senior class officer. After she and her teammates watched an all-inclusive team from Fort Zumwalt High School perform during a competition last year, she took the idea to Principal Eric Cochran and asked him if LHS could start a team of its own, according to a news release.

Five students enrolled at LHS through the Special School District are currently participating in Shining Stars. They pair up with 10 Flyerettes buddies and practice once a week to learn dance routines. During one of their first performances at a back-to-school pep assembly, the LHS student body gave the team a standing ovation.

“It was amazing to see all of the students standing up and cheering along to the Fight Song,” Maddie stated in the release. “When we are not performing, we sit in the stands and have fun cheering together.”

Lindbergh’s group is registered with The Sparkle Effect, a national foundation that supports all-inclusive dance teams and provides suggestions and guidelines for starting a local team. Maddie said she has been encouraged by the enthusiasm of her new teammates and the camaraderie that has been fostered among the buddies in just a few short weeks since school began.

“The Shining Stars are always so excited to come to practice and they love dancing,” Maddie stated. “They love the music and our uniforms, which are a black skirt and matching T-shirts.”