For the past month, the Tigerettes had been struggling with the cold, flu, bronchitis and other illnesses but they pushed through it without any troubles; it wasn’t until this week that it affected their dancing. With only a few weeks left before the OSAA Dance/ Drill State Championships it was crucial for everyone to attend practice, even if it meant that they had to sit out with a bucket at their side. At one of the past weeks practices, 7 girls  from just the sophomore class all had to sit out.

Practice was never cancelled, there were no breaks; the Tigerette coaches were determined to have a finished routine for their next competition. Choreographer and coach Chase Gourley broke down the lyrical section of their James Bond state routine and re-staged the whole piece. On top of that they added another minute to their routine. They finished learning the routine on Thursday, giving the team only one more practice to perfect it.

On Sat March 2, the Tigerettes received an S.Q.S of 79.61 in the 6A Large division at the Metropolitan Festival of Dance hosted at Centennial High School. They came in second behind the Rhythmettes from Gresham High School. The team gave a strong showing during both rounds, receiving an 87 in technique during the first round and an 89 in the second. They also received a very high score of 89 and 90 in projection. Unfortunately they fell short in the spacing and alignment category, scoring a 63 during both rounds.

“We all worked so hard this past week and learned so much choreography,” said senior Jaleesa Panning. “I’m so proud of how we pulled it of and how amazing it looked. The energy on the floor felt amazing and we all felt so good about how well we dance.”