Jefferson Dancers, A Renowned Dance Company At Jefferson High School, Propels Students To Success Through The Arts (Photo) -03/10/23
Dancer from Renowned Pre-Professional Dance Company at North Portland's Jefferson High School Wins Top Honors
Two members of the Jefferson Dancers won awards in the Outstanding Student Choreography Showcase at the National High School Dance Festival held March 1-5, 2023, at Point Park University in Pittsburgh. Senior John Kearney won the highest honor, first place for Outstanding Student Choreography, for his piece entitled, "You'll Be Happy." Fellow senior Eli Bryan was Honorable Mention and took third place for Outstanding Student Choreography for their piece "Altitude Sickness."
The decision to crown "You'll Be Happy," the winner was unanimous among the seven judges, including dance professors at top universities and dance professionals.
Kearney and Bryan's pieces were 2 of 11 chosen to be performed in the Outstanding Student Choreography Showcase for final adjudication out of nearly 200 submissions from American and Canadian high school dance programs. According to Dr. Kathryn Kearns, founder and executive director of the National High School Dance Festival, there have never been two pieces selected from the same school asked to perform in this showcase. Nor have top honors been achieved for more than one piece from the same school in one year.
"This is an achievement that had yet to be achieved by any high school in the nation until this year—and Jefferson Dancers accomplished it! We are all so incredibly proud of them," says Steve Gonzales, Artistic Director of Jefferson Dancers for 24 years. "Working with such a wonderful group of students is a privilege. Their dedication, motivation, and work ethic prove that even the challenging years of lockdown and virtual learning can't hold back the power of the language of dance."
The National High School Dance Festival is the largest in the United States, showcasing excellence in high school dance programming; it has been held since 1992. The festival included four days of student performances, master classes, and auditions for college and summer-intensive scholarships. The Jefferson Dancers performed in the two Gala concerts and the Outstanding Student Choreography Showcase. Nearly 10 of the 18 Jefferson Dancers received numerous summer-intensive and college scholarships at the festival.
"Winning first place in such a prestigious event is a dream come true," says John Kearney, a 4-year member of Jefferson Dancers who began choreographing his eight-dancer piece in April 2022. "I'm so proud of this cast and their ability to problem-solve, perform, and persevere."
"Jefferson has fostered an amazing environment for creativity and is incredibly supportive in the choreography process," extols Eli Bryan, a member of Jefferson Dancers for two years. "I am fortunate to have set a piece on so many beautiful dancers."
Both award-winning pieces will be performed April 20-22 at Portland's Newmark Theatre as part of the Jefferson Dancers' annual spring performances; tickets go on sale the week of March 13.
The Jefferson Dancers (known informally as "the JDs") are the elite dancers of the nationally renowned dance department at Jefferson High School. For nearly 50 years, the company has comprised the school's most advanced dance students who come to Jefferson High School for dance training. It is a multi-ethnic company of dancers, ages 14-18. Under the longtime tutelage of Artistic Director Steve Gonzales, the Jefferson Dancers rehearse every school day for three hours, in addition to taking a 90-minute dance instruction class. The JDs perform myriad dance styles, including ballet, modern, jazz, tap, hip-hop, and African.
