March 21, 2020 was the day that the Tualatin Dance Team had been looking forward to since their season began. The team was supposed to compete at the OSAA Dance/Drill state competition located at the Veterans Memorial Coliseum until it was cancelled due to the coronavirus outbreak. 

The dancers started working on their routine in August, learning choreography, all while bringing life to the story they wanted to tell through their movements. Their state routine was titled “You’ve Got It in You” and told a story about lifting others up and believing in your capability to accomplish great things.  

The team hasn’t seen each other since their Tuesday night practice on March 10, not knowing it would be their last time practicing together. 

“It’s been difficult not receiving much closure,” senior Katie Ballard said. 

There are a total of nine seniors on the team that didn’t get to perform at their final state competition. Some will continue to dance in the future and some won’t, but it’s unfortunate that they couldn’t wrap up the season dancing together one last time. 

The team is trying to keep their spirits high and hold onto the memories that they made throughout the season. They did a team Zoom Call at 8:10 p.m. on March 21, which would have been the time that they took the floor at the Memorial Coliseum. They are also planning fun activities like teammate trivia and other group games so they can stay in touch. 

The Tualatin Dance Team’s hard work, perseverance and positive attitudes will not go unnoticed. It’s not the ending they expected, but each dancer will continue to do amazing things and will carry their dance team memories with them for the rest of their lives.