Fresh off winning a pair of titles at the Jamfest Dance Super Nationals, the Apollo High School Eaglettes Dance Team concluded their competition season this weekend with a state championship in the Pom category and second-place finish in Hip Hop.
Apollo had placed second in KHSAA Region 2 competition in both categories in the fall and placed third at NDA Western KY Regional in December in both categories, as Head Coach Melissa Jarboe said they were pushing to compete at the national level.
The squad competed at the Jamfest Dance Super Nationals at the Kentucky International Convention Center in Louisville on Feb. 11-13, claiming first place in each category.
The Eaglettes competed at the Kentucky Dance Coaches Organization competition at Butler Traditional High School in Louisville this past weekend.
The squad is coached by Melissa Jarboe and Christine Tucker. Team members are seniors Haley Fitzgerald, Larkin Jarboe, Cloe Tucker; juniors Grace Ash, Yuridia Alvarez, Chloe Kirk; sophomores Katelyn Crawford, Katora Johnson, Alex Swift; and freshmen Lexie Crabtree, Alexia Latham and Katie Ripley.
Following their national championships, Jarboe said that they dance as a team and win as a team at Apollo, so the upperclassmen made sure that everyone was involved in what they would perform throughout the year.
“Our seniors this year really wanted everyone to feel valued and important to the whole process,” Jarboe said at the time. “They started last summer discussing music for the competition dances as a team. Everyone was able to contribute and have a voice. Then when we discussed our vision with our choreographers, the team had input on what they envisioned for different sections of the dance. Each time we competed before Christmas, we would study our performances and make adjustments as needed. Our team is really good at encouraging and supporting one another.”
