Philomath High School’s dance and drill team will showcase two routines Saturday when it hosts the 20th annual Dancing With the Stars competition.
The Shining Stars, competing with a seven-member roster, will perform in both the 1A-5A traditional and 1A-5A hip hop categories. Saturday’s event marks the first time this season Philomath will present its traditional routine.
“Traditional is typically described as contemporary but what it used to be was the combination of like jazz, modern, contemporary, prior to doing categories at state,” said Jordyn McMullen, who is in her second year as Philomath’s head coach.
The Oregon School Activities Association officially adopted traditional as a state championship category in 2023, with routines typically utilizing modern and contemporary elements.
Philomath will face Gladstone, Newport and West Albany in the traditional competition. The Shining Stars will perform as the lone entry in 1A-5A hip hop.
The team’s seven-member roster includes seniors Tori Cropp and Ginnah Hopper, junior Viktor Pike, sophomores Ella Hammonds, Marri Best and Kaihautu Cropp, and freshman Mirielle Cupp. Tori Cropp and Hopper serve as senior captains, with Pike as junior captain. Sophomore Isla Smith is the team manager. McMullen is assisted by coach Katelynn Romviel.
“It’s the smallest team that I can think of since I’ve been involved in the program,” said McMullen, who competed with PHS from 2016-20. “It is pretty tight in terms of keeping everybody healthy and eligible and just to keep everybody participating. So, we would like to have more, obviously, in the future. But our seven are really committed and really dedicated to the team.”
The smaller squad has fostered a tight-knit bond among the dancers, McMullen noted, though the program continues working to build visibility and grow its numbers through community fundraising and sponsor outreach.
“The more community members I think that come out, the more apt we are to get that visibility in the community and then hopefully grow our team,” she said about this weekend’s event.
Philomath has competed in just one event this academic year, finishing fourth in hip hop with a 64.44 score at a Nov. 22 competition hosted by West Albany.
“We’re changing the way we’re structuring our season, focusing more on winter competitions,” McMullen said. “The DDCA (Dance Drill Coaches Association of Oregon) has kind of been pushing to make dance more of a winter sport than a year-round fall sport, so we’re tapping into that a little bit this year and competing a little bit less in the fall and focusing more on the winter season.”
Last year, Philomath finished second behind Newport in 1A-4A hip hop and second in 1A-4A pom behind Marshfield at the Dancing With the Stars competition. The Shining Stars finished sixth in 1A-4A hip hop and seventh in 1A-4A pom at the state championships.
McMullen’s passion for dance developed during her own years as a Philomath competitor.
“It’s something that I’ve always been really passionate about and it’s kind of like a safe place for me to just release all of my emotions and process things,” she said. “The community has always been really supportive and important to me.”
The competition begins at 11 a.m. Saturday at Philomath High School, with doors opening at 10:30 a.m. Admission is $10 at the door, free for ages 5 and under.
