PENDLETON — Pendleton High School’s Rhythmic Mode dance team will host the 36th annual Hearts in Motion dance competition Saturday, Feb. 24, at home at Warberg Court.

“That is a lot of years,” Pendleton coach Debbie Kishpaugh said of the long-running event. “I have been at every one, which makes it old. Being in Eastern Oregon and surviving COVID, which almost destroyed every dance program in Eastern Oregon, it has been a lot of hard work to get back on our feet. We aren’t as big as we used to be, but the point was surviving.”

The event will have teams from kindergarten age to high school, and Rhythmic Mode will be competing once again. Also on the roster to compete are Hermiston High School, Milwaukie High School, Lincoln High School and Grant Union.

“You have to compete,” Kishpaugh said. “You can’t use an exhibition score to qualify for state. We have already qualified for state in open and jazz. Milwaukie has qualified for one, but not the other, and GU hasn’t qualified for either. You don’t want to wait until the last competition.”

There will be one round of competition, which Kishpaugh has been the standard since the coronavirus pandemic.

Hermiston coach Susan Stephens said her team, Stardust, is looking forward to the event.

“It’s one of our dancers’ favorite competitions to go to,” Stephens said. “We have three routines — show, hip hop and contemporary. We will do all three in Pendleton.”

Competition begins at 11:30 a.m. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for seniors.

There also will be a raffle with items donated by local merchants.

Gift baskets available to bid on include a flamingo basket packed with goodies, a life’s comfort basket that has blankets, chocolate and coffee, among other things, a Frozen inspired basket, and a basket full of kitchen items.

Hearts in Motion serves as a fundraiser for Rhythmic Mode to help defray costs of traveling to the state competition, which is March 15-16 at the Salem Pavilion.

Rhythmic Mode team members are Madelyn Lieuallen, Sammie Stills, Ava Reding, Aubrey Wadlington, Paige Gard, Gabe Corbett, Miranda Case, Keegan Kirkpatrick, Deegan Thomas, Tony Willingham, Marissa Smith, Kherington English, Andi Moore, Adealia Reid and Addison Breshears.