North Eugene High School Dance Team
The North Eugene Dance Team is an integral part of North Eugene High School. Not only is the dance team considered an athletic sport, that competes at the OSAA level like volleyball, basketball and softball, it also is considered an art form. This means that in order for a dancer to compete, they must be a successful student first. Dancers are ineligible to dance without hard work and effort in the classroom and passing grades.
The dance team entertains, motivates and wows audiences everywhere from assemblies and halftimes to local competitions and the State Championships. The dancers rehearse 4 or more times a week, starting with team auditions in the spring, summer conditioning and training, and from the beginning of the school year up until March when they have their State championship up in Portland. Some of these rehearsals include early morning weekday practices and three to four hour Saturday or Sunday practices.
The dancers are a dedicated group studying the different genres of dance including: hip hop, jazz, theatre jazz/novelty, kick line, pom, modern and contemporary. In the past we’ve taken home a wide range of trophies at local competitions from 4th place to 1st place. In 2015, we took home our first OSAA State Championship trophy, 4th place. In the past five seasons, we have brought home over 20 trophies from 1st to 3rd place at local competitions. We also travel bi-annually to Disneyland to perform on their international stages, which is a highlight and exciting part of our program.
Winning is not the driving force behind the team. The dancers are humble and remember that it’s the journey and not always the destination; they stick to being the best that they can be and working to their full potential. After every practice they cheer and recall their team motto: SWEET-P. This motto stands for: Support, Work Ethic, Encouragement, and Perseverance. With these words, the team supports each other through the season with a positive attitude and focused goals. This season the NEDT is composed of 19 fine, young women and men from 9-12th grade.
