About The North Eugene 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 6am weekday practices and three-four hour Sunday practices.
The dancers are a dedicated group studying the different genres of dance including: hip hop, jazz, lyrical jazz, theatre jazz, 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. Most recently, the dance team scored 3rd place at the 2022 OSAA State Championships, and 4th in Traditional/6th place in Jazz at the 2023 State Championships. In the past three seasons, we have brought home over 18 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. Our dancers have also had team grade point averages between 3.72 and 3.97 collectively, making the top ten in the entire state for Academic All State every year for almost a decade.
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: PEACHES. This motto stands for: Passion, Effort, Accountable, Coachable, Humble, Encouragement, and Showmanship. 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 16 talented student-athletes from 9-12th grade.
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 6am weekday practices and three-four hour Sunday practices.
The dancers are a dedicated group studying the different genres of dance including: hip hop, jazz, lyrical jazz, theatre jazz, 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. Most recently, the dance team scored 3rd place at the 2022 OSAA State Championships, and 4th in Traditional/6th place in Jazz at the 2023 State Championships. In the past three seasons, we have brought home over 18 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. Our dancers have also had team grade point averages between 3.72 and 3.97 collectively, making the top ten in the entire state for Academic All State every year for almost a decade.
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: PEACHES. This motto stands for: Passion, Effort, Accountable, Coachable, Humble, Encouragement, and Showmanship. 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 16 talented student-athletes from 9-12th grade.
The 2023-24 Season Roster
Angie Huff, Head Coach
Lindsey Ragsdale, Assistant Coach
Rachel Girt, Assistant Coach
James Healey, State Choreographer
Team Members
Emma Spencer, Senior*
Sarah Childers, Senior
Kayla Kunz, Senior*
Scarlett Briskey, Senior*
Amanda Rodeen, Senior
Sasha Lambirth, Senior
Azure Karns, Junior
Mckenzie Pierce, Junior
Maxwell Briskey, Junior
Eliana Chacon, Junior
Justice Harrison-Unruh, Sophomore
Andrea Cuartero Santillan, Sophomore
Jayden Andrews, Sophomore
Joslyn Washington, Freshman
Hannah Ellis, Freshman
Caiylee Cockrell, Freshman
* Denotes Captains
Angie Huff, Head Coach
Lindsey Ragsdale, Assistant Coach
Rachel Girt, Assistant Coach
James Healey, State Choreographer
Team Members
Emma Spencer, Senior*
Sarah Childers, Senior
Kayla Kunz, Senior*
Scarlett Briskey, Senior*
Amanda Rodeen, Senior
Sasha Lambirth, Senior
Azure Karns, Junior
Mckenzie Pierce, Junior
Maxwell Briskey, Junior
Eliana Chacon, Junior
Justice Harrison-Unruh, Sophomore
Andrea Cuartero Santillan, Sophomore
Jayden Andrews, Sophomore
Joslyn Washington, Freshman
Hannah Ellis, Freshman
Caiylee Cockrell, Freshman
* Denotes Captains