The 2014 Huskiettes dance team is young, but they’re ahead of the curve and full of promise this season.
“My team is very good this year,” said Coach Kristin Ashcraft. “My freshmen are outstanding. I have really talented freshmen, thanks to (junior high dance coach) Eohe Howerton. She did a great job with them.”
Ashcraft has four years ahead of her with these girls, she said, and she’s excited.
The team includes one senior, Cathy Cheshire; six sophomores, Kaylee Dougherty, Jackkie Ohmer, Mikaela Batchelor, Kiesha Goble and Tonya Cook; and four freshmen, Jackie Cheshire, Kailey Harrington, Natasha Ellison and Dana Hiett.
Ashcraft is proud of her lone senior, she said. “She’s led her team. She’s helped me with choreography, music and costumes. Her dance skills have improved over four years.”
The newcomers bring experience and talent. Harrington, in particular, has “poise and grace and natural ability, Ashcraft said. “A beautiful dancer to watch.”
Hiett is extremely flexible and athletic, the coach said. Jackie Cheshire specializes in flying and tumbling.
“I have all this talent,” Ashcraft said. “They’re all good. I don’t have to hide any kids. Usually, my advanced dancers are in a group in front.”
But she doesn’t have to think that way this year, she said. “It doesn’t matter where anybody’s standing.”
“It’s a small team this year, but they look beautiful,” she said. They’re ahead of schedule learning their skills, and they’re almost done learning the state routine.
They compete for the first time on Saturday, Feb. 1, in Sandy. That competition includes two rounds, one with just the judges, who will spend time afterward coaching the team, followed by a regular round of competition.
The team will then perform at South Albany on Feb. 8 and Liberty in the Portland area on March 1. State is March 19-22.
The schedule is short this year, but that’ll provide an advantage.
“We’ll have the last two weeks in February to perfect our routine,” Ashcraft said, and the breaks in between evens will give the team time to adjust. In the meantime, the girls will perform at a lot of basketball games this season.
The routine is set to “The Dark Side,” by Kelly Clarkson.
It’s basically about unconditional love, Ashcraft said. “It’s just a pretty song, with a pretty routine and pretty costumes. It starts out really pretty, and it has a good message.”
The routine incorporates tumbling, gymnastics and lifts or stunting to give it more visual appeal, Ashcraft said. The contemporary jazz choreography is by Ashcraft and the athletes.
“It’s a higher difficulty this year,” Ashcraft said. “I’ve been able to work with the kids and teach them more advanced skills.”
They already had good basic skills, she said, and they’ve been working on them in open gym since September.
The Huskiettes struggled last year and didn’t do well in competitions, Ashcraft said. “I think we have a really good routine this year.”
And she expects to see a better showing in competition.
The girls will compete with up to 18 teams at state this year, Ashcraft said. The Huskiettes’ division now includes 1A through 4A. Depending on the number of teams that show up, there could be small and large divisions.