Nevada County Picayune and Gurdon Times Newspaper Archive

Dance team requested at School Board meeting

A new dance drill team may be in the works for Gurdon High School if the School Board votes in favor of the request made by GHS biology teacher Angela Beckett.

At the Board meeting Tuesday, March 11, she proposed a vote for the dance drill team. Beckett, who said she is well qualified as a dance instructor for her past experience in the art, said she feels that a dance team could benefit the high school and Gurdon as a community.

The drill team, which will be modeled after The Rockettes, will learn different styles of dance, including funk, jazz, lyrical and hip hop. She said the team could present at pep rallies, Christmas parades, Homecoming parades and an annual spring show, which could raise money if admission were charged.

She told the Board that, if a decision were made in her favor, she volunteered to hold a miniature camp to be held at the school during the tryout process. She also mentioned the possibility of summer camp, which would cost around $250 per person, for the officers of the team.

In her presentation, she made points regarding the benefits of the proposed team. Her contentions were:

 members could have the possibility of a physical education credit;

 it would be an optional extra- curricular activity;

 dance is recommended as a healthy activity;

 dance raises self-esteem; and

 good public relations for the Gurdon School District.

Beckett prepared a mock sign-up sheet to find out how many students would be interested in a dance team, and 28 replied.

One question Superintendent Bobby Smithson raised was the possibility of losing band students to a dance team. Beckett informed the Board that, of the 28 who were interested, not one of them was a member of band.

Smithson said he supports the program, but worries because band numbers are falling.

Allen Wimberly, Gurdon High School band director, approached the Board to confute Becketts request, saying there are several girls in band.

He said the drill team would be another avenue for girls to take who do not make the cheerleading team. He also said he would like to have a bigger band. Although none of the 28 who are interested now are not in the band, he said, the band could lose numbers in the future with the option of a dance team.

I want you to digest what youve taken in tonight, he told the Board. Im just looking out for the band.

Beckett closed her presentation by saying she feels a dance team would greatly benefit the school district, and thanked the Board for considering her presentation.