The Barrington High School Orchesis dance team was shocked to learn its rare foray into a national competition landed them in the semifinals.

“We’re all dumbfounded,” said Julie Salk, fine arts department chair and artistic director of the team. “We’re not a competitive squad. We just do performance.”

Despite that fact, the 82-member team decided to enter two pieces into the One Dance One Chance competition, presented by the Ovation TV network. One of those dances, arranged by professional choreographer Sarah Ford, was selected to be one of the 25 finalists.

“That’s something we didn’t plan on happening,” said Jessica Eilks, a 17-year-old junior from Barrington.

Eilks joined the team as a freshman because of her love of modern dance, which she’s practiced since sixth grade.

It was through Orchesis, Eilks discovered a love of choreography, which she hopes to pursue after college.

Just making the finals is a complement, Eilks said, especially because of the level of some of their competitors, including a team from Julliard Dance Ensemble in New York City.

Barrington High School is just one of two in the Chicago area to be selected. The other team is from Glenview. Judges will use the results of a public vote to help determine the winning team, which will receive a $10,000 prize. Three runner ups will also receive $1,000, Salk said.

“It’s not about the technical prowess of the girls,” Salk said. “It’s more about the choreographic intent, the craftsman of the piece and the expressiveness. I think that’s why we made it.”

Hannah Mills, a 17-year-old senior from Deer Park, believes the opportunity to work with a professional choreographer also helped their chances.

Mills, who competes on the schools poms squad, said Orchesis is a “stress free way to dance and hang out with my friends.”

Salk said if the team wins any prize money, it will allow them to work more with professional choreographers.

For information on the contest, visit www.dance.ovationtv.com.