On Jan. 19, senior dancers from around the state auditioned for the 2020 Dance Drill Coaches Association (DDCA) All-State Team.
The DDCA has sponsored the All-State Team since 2011, a duty previously held by the OSAA. Unlike other all-state teams, only seniors are eligible to audition.
Each dancer must be recommended by their coach as meeting core dance skills, must be in good standing with their team/school, and all members of their coaching staff must be a member of the DDCA in order to be eligible to audition.
Candidates learned the Jazz portion of the All-State routine ahead of time via video. After a quick warm-up, candidates performed the Jazz routine in groups of three to five before a panel of three judges.
The candidate field was cut in half and the finalists learned the hip hop and contemporary portion of the routine, which was then performed before the same panel of three judges. From the finalists, the 2020 All-State Team was selected.
The audition included 144 dancers: 91 from 6A, 31 from 5A and 22 from 4A-1A. Notable accomplishments include: Lake Oswego naming five dancers to the 6A team; Stayton earning half of the spots on the 4A-1A team; and Philomath, Valley Catholic, Pendleton, Silverton, and Lakeridge each earning two spots on their classification’s team.
“The experience of All-State was incredible,” Stayton senior Jasmin Johnson said. “It was such an amazing opportunity my teammates and I were able to experience. I’m incredibly thankful and so proud of my teammates for making the All-State team.”
2020 DDCA All-State Dance Team
4A-1A:
- Libby Barkhurst, Valley Catholic
- Aubrey Casey, Philomath
- Brylie DiGesualdo, Stayton
- Macey Frost, Stayton
- Jasmin Johnson, Stayton
- Jordyn McMullen, Philomath
- Haleigh Peralta-Davis, Valley Catholic
- Kaitlin Sandall, Stayton
5A:
- Elena Barajas, North Eugene
- Corinne Berning, Silverton
- Alyssa Marstall, South Albany
- Brooklyn Nord, Scappoose
- Emily Rinehart, Pendleton
- Collin Taber, Pendleton
- Kenna Young, Thurston
- Samantha Zurcher, Silverton
6A:
- Devi Charlton, Lake Oswego
- Stacey Choi, Oregon City
- Allie Coder, Lakeridge
- Hailey Dickerson, Clackamas
- Lucinda Feuerherdt, Tualatin
- Grace Freemont, Lake Oswego
- Naomi Friedman, Lincoln
- Madeline Hacker, Sam Barlow
- Rachel Hansen, Canby
- Madison Hirsch, Lake Oswego
- Vora Limpaphayom, Sunset
- Jillian Plahn, Tualatin
- Jenny Rodas-Hills, Lakeridge
- Sabrina Safari, Lake Oswego
- Sayeh Sanaee, Lake Oswego
- Julia Takahashi, Southridge
- Sydney Traina, Sherwood
- Lily Xia, Westview
This year’s All State routine was choreographed by Lisa Zaragoza, current dance coach for the University of Oregon Cheer Team and a former Blazer Dancer. The 2020 DDCA All State Team will perform at the 2020 OSAA Dance and Drill Championships on March 20-21.
daniellelschneider@gmail.com
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