Flying to Orlando to compete in the Dance Worlds Competition is becoming a regular experience for junior Megan Barnes.

“I wanted to dance at Cheer Legendz because I used to cheer there and I used to watch their hip hop team at every competition. It looked so fun that I convinced my mom to let me do it and she eventually said yes,” Barnes said.

Cheer Legendz participants practice weekly and go to competitions in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Dallas, Cincinnati and Tennessee, where they compete against other gyms.

This year, Barnes’ senior hip-hop team, the Saberz, have been invited to compete at Dance Worlds, where they received eighth place last year. This is the fourth year that they have been chosen to go to Dance Worlds, making them the first team in Missouri to earn this award, as well as the only team in Missouri to achieve it four times.

“Cheer Legendz has taught me what it means to be a team player, we all work together to achieve what we want. It’s also taught me perseverance because my coaches inspire me to keep going until I learn a hard trick or difficult dance or style of dance. They taught me to never settle and to always keep pushing,” Barnes said.

However, teams can only go to worlds if they receive a bid. There are two types of bids for dance: at-large and partial paid. Teams receive bids by winning or having top scores in a competition. The Saberz received a partial bid due to receiving the highest score in all of dance.

The 2014 Dance Worlds Competition is located in Disney World and the dance section of it will be preformed in Epcot. Teams from all over the globe will come to compete. The competition consists of two days, and teams only advance to the second day if they make it to finals.

“It’s like the Olympics of cheer and dance,” Barnes said.

The Saberz will be performing a routine that they have been perfecting since August. Preparation for Worlds included more frequent and longer practices, conditioning in and out of practice, eating right and taking care of their bodies. Inspiring pep talks, and sharing knowledge and experiences about worlds was also included.

“We hope to go out there and kill it. We want to leave our hearts on the floor and have no regrets when we get off stage. Obviously we are going to try to win, but we have to make it to day two first so that’s the immediate goal,” Barnes said.