HERMISTON, Ore.-The defending State Champion Hermiston High School Dance Team is heading back to the Washington Interscholastic Activities Association (WIAA) State Tournament on March 28.
“This season was really good for our team, we performed in parades and at football games, in addition to competitions,” said Hermiston Head Coach Alex Anteau, now in her second year leading the Bulldogs. “The team absorbed it all, gave their all, and performed well.”
Hermiston has won eight state titles across hip hop, dance or show since 2019, including four straight show championships. This year, the Bulldogs qualified for the State Tournament at the Yakima SunDome in dance, hip hop and pom.
A new discipline
Show was replaced by pom this year, which emphasizes quick and precise, synchronized arm movements, formations, jumps, and skills by dancers holding poms throughout the routine.
“Pom is like jazz, but 100 times faster and with poms in your hands,” said Anteau.
With its championship mindset, the Hermiston Dance Team embraced the challenge of a new discipline, working with a choreographer from Colorado on their routine, and ultimately placed in pom in every competition they competed in this season.
“I’m proud of this team, I think we should do really good at state,” said Citalya Ozuna, a senior and one of the Captains of the Bulldog Dance Team. “Right now, we’re fourth for pom, and I think we could get a clean sweep at state.”
Putting in the work, making memories
In sports, it can be said that the only thing harder than making it to the top is staying there, and Hermiston is not resting on its laurels, admiring the championship banners hanging from the rafters of the school gym, rather the Bulldogs are chasing another title.
“I’m really proud to dance for Hermiston,” said junior Leeya Adams, another team Captain. “Winning another title would mean a lot for the school, it would show what we’ve been working for. That championship banner would be a representation of our hard work and dedication.”
Through countless hours of practice, rehearsal and choreography, Hermiston has developed a camaraderie that should serve them well at state, and a bond they will remember for the rest of their lives.
“Our season was pretty good, it was filled with excitement and good, funny memories,” said Ozuna. “This is my last season, and I’ll always remember the strong bonds and friendships.”
For senior Mariah Combe, another team Captain who has never experienced a season of Hermiston Dance that didn’t end with a championship, it’s the friendships that continue beyond competition that stand out.
“I will remember the friendships I’ve made dancing for Hermiston the most,” said Combe. “Meeting new girls and boys every year and forming strong connections, we’re lucky to have great friends and teammates through dance.”
On to State
“Another title would mean a lot to this team,” said Anteau. “I’m so nervous about the streak, we’re putting the energy in because I know we’re capable of winning again. The team totally deserves to win, they’ve done and given everything, every day.”
If it’s true that the “separation is in the preparation,” then Hermiston should be ready to compete at state when it leaves for the competition after a six-hour practice on March 27.
“A state championship would mean a lot, it would be the best accomplishment,” said Combe. “It would be the sweetest ending I could ask for.”
