The Grant Union Gold Dance team took its traditional dance routine to the Dance and Drill State Championships at the Salem Pavilion March 15 and 16, placing 12th in the 5A/4A/3A/2A/1A class.

The team’s finish isn’t the entire story, however.

Many high school dance teams folded during the coronavirus pandemic, forcing dancers from small schools like Grant Union to compete against troupes from much larger schools.

As the only active class 2A dance team left in the state and one of two Eastern Oregon dance squads still standing, just competing is an accomplishment unto itself.

“I definitely think it wast the best performance they’ve had all season, so it wasn’t really a loss for us,” Grant Union Gold head coach Ashleigh Romero said.

“I just had to remind them that it is about the performance and not about the place,” she addded.

Romero said she didn’t really sense any nerves from her team ahead of their state routine but added that her two seniors, Hailey Mecham and Alyssa Catalani, were performing for the final time with Grant Union Gold, which provided a little extra motivation for the pair.

“That kind of gave them the motivation to give the best performance that they possibly could,” Romero said. “Afterward was definitely the hard spot for them. They were all emotional and crying — not necessarily in a bad way, but mostly because it was the best performance they’d ever given and it was their very last.”

Romero said losing Mecham and Catalani won’t be fatal to Grant Union Gold, but their absence on next year’s team will certainly be felt.

“It definitely leaves a big hole,” she said. “Programs are always evolving and stuff, too, so it isn’t like we can’t do great without them, but they definitely are a big part of the team and the heart of the team. … I think that the kids that we have left and hopefully the kids that will join us this next year will learn and be just as good as they are — it just takes time.”

Romero said competing against 5A teams posed a challenge, particularly when it comes to just the sheer number of dancers those teams have.

“Canby, for instance, they had 34 dancers on the floor, and part of the competition is creating a picture on the floor,” she said. “We only have six and they have 34 — they’re able to make these great formations and technique and all sorts of stuff, and for us it’s very difficult.”

Romero said she’s going to attend a meeting of dance coaches which she hopes will lead to changes in the state competition format moving forward.

“A lot of us are kind of frustrated” she said. “Not that it’s anybody’s fault — it’s just very hard for the underdogs.”

As the flag-bearers for 2A dance and drill, Romero said the team will spend the summer continuing to try to improve in preparation for the 2024-25 dance season.

“We plan to keep going to our summer dance camps like we did last year and just keep learning as much as we can — you know, just continue to do well,” she said.