April 8, 2004

Dance team puts Pioneer High School on national map

By Sheila Sanchez
Staff Writer

Pioneer High School has one more triumph to celebrate besides improving test scores and being a California Distinguished School.

Its dance team recently won fourth place in the hip hop division at the United Spirit Association (USA) national dance competition in Anaheim, where almost 200 teams from around the country competed.

“They’ve come a long ways,” says dance coach Lisa Yap. “It was the first year they competed in this category and to place fourth out of 14 teams is just amazing.”

To qualify for the national competition, the 17-member team took first in the novelty division during the USA Granite Bay Regional Dance Competition earlier this year.

Last year, the team’s “small team,” made up of seven members, won first place at the Contest of Champions Nationals in Orlando, Fla. The team also received the highest dance score in the modern dance division at that event.

At the 2003 USA state competition in Tracy, the team won first place in the novelty and intermediate divisions, while its small team won first place in its division.

The team, however, has won 15 national championships during the past seven years giving the Mustangs the coveted trophies that translate into state and national school recognition.

“I love the team and I’m excited to watch them grow because many members are young,” says Yap, who also teaches the P.E. dance class at the high school.

“I want to continue our tradition of excellence and I’m excited to build the team up to its fullest potential,” adds the 24-year-old dance instructor, who admits it’s a time-consuming job.

Since the mid 1970s, when former dance coach Jackie Buchser had choreographers help the team improve its abilities, it has distinguished itself from others around the Bay Area as disciplined and competitive.

Buchser retired in 1993. “It was the parents, the students and myself working together that made the team so excellent,” says Buchser, recalling her 15 years as coach. Although she has not seen them perform lately she says, “It sounds like they’re continuing on the road to success.”

Parent Cathy Jamello credits Buchser with the team’s success. “They took off. They were the precision team to beat. We were told that they even started an elite camp because they felt the team wasn’t being challenged enough.”

Jamello, whose two daughters have been members of the team, says the team has been winning first place awards, with a couple of years winning second and third place awards, in all divisions—novelty, intermediate team, small team and officers.

Young girls in the San Jose Unified School District consider them idols.

“The first time I saw them they were like stars,” admits Pioneer High School junior Emily Deckert, 16, a member of the team since her freshman year. “They looked so cool and so together and they were so tall and seemed unreachable. They seemed so out of my league.”

Deckert believes her three “triples” (spinning around three times without stopping) at tryouts in front of USA judges helped her make the team.

While not as star-struck as Deckert, 18-year-old Pioneer High School senior Kelly Jamello, 18, a team member since her freshman year, tried out during the 2000-01 school year because she loved to dance and because her sister, Catrina, had also been a part of the team and had loved it.

During May tryouts, she says, “You’re judged on your dancing and how you perform and how you are on that day. When you try out you have to be that elite dancer, you have to show them that you can fit in with the other girls.”

Other team members come from middle school dance teams like the one at Castillero Middle School. Its members admit they work hard in elementary and middle school to hone their dance techniques to someday make the team.

Sophomore Abby Schorr, 15, says she’s lucky she’s a member.

“I love being on the team. It’s changed me as a person. I’ve learned a lot of things. My technique has grown. I’ve learned time management and how to keep up with my academic work.

“There are always days when you don’t want to dance, but the team helps you push through it,” adds Schorr. “It’s a challenge coming home late from practice and having to do homework, but it’s worth it.”

Freshman Shari Gordon, 14, admits she’s admired the dance team for several years. “Since the first time I saw them perform, it became my dream to be on Pioneer,” says the straight-A student. “Dancing is a huge part of my life. I don’t know what I would do with my time if I didn’t dance.”

Schorr asserts, “We’re like a family. We’re like sisters. We’re always together. If one of us is upset, we all go through it together.”

Senior Tierney de la Lama, 17, confesses while she’s only been on the team for one year, she’s loved it. “It’s been a big sacrifice, but it’s been fun. I’ve danced my whole life, but I’ve always been a strong musician and singer, so this year it’s been hard to adjust.”

Freshman Kelly Pfund, 14, tried out because she heard good things about the team and also dreamed about joining them when she was in middle school. “I love to hang out with everyone and dance.”

Junior Daniella Castillo, 16, is a team officer who’s responsible for looking out for the dancers and conducting practices when the coach is not around. Castillo also feels privileged to be on the team.

The team doesn’t seem affected by a streak of different coaches during the past eight years, but parents confess they hope to someday have a permanent coach.

Most team members have been dancing since they were toddlers. Most give the team more than 20 hours a week, with daily practice and performances at every high school basketball and football game as well as school rallies and community events. All members say they rise at 6 a.m. and end their day, sometimes at 1 a.m., trying to finish all homework assignments.

“It’s a lot of hours and it’s constant, but it’s worth it because we love it,” confesses Jamello. “It’s a little harder, but it’s possible if there’s motivation.”

Parent Booster Club President Annie Deckert supports the team with travel, fund-raising and customs. She explains all parents must participate. “It’s a high level of parent commitment,” admits Deckert who says dancing is an expensive sport costing about $3,000 a year per girl.

One of the ways parents raise funds is working at the concession stands at the San Jose Arena during Sharks games. The company that runs the concession stands pays the parents as a nonprofit organization. “That helps to offset the expenses. My husband has worked at 20 Sharks games this year to help defray the expenses of the team. Many parents do that.”

They also sell candy and auctions to raise funds.

“When my daughter first told me she wanted to try out and as soon as I learned the amount of commitment it was, I really encouraged her to think of something else,” confesses Deckert. “We’ve had to sacrifice family time, vacations and money.”

Deckert, however, says she likes what the team has given her daughter, Emily. “She’s learned to be a part of a team. She’s learned to sacrifice for what she wants the most. She gets so much joy out of it. You can see it on her face. It’s made it all seem like it’s the right thing to do. When your kid is passionate about something, you just follow.”

The team will perform its spring show at 7 p.m. May 13-14 in the Pioneer High School gym, 1290 Blossom Hill Rd., San Jose. Tickets are $7 for adults and $5 for children. Ticket sales support the team’s expenses. The show will also feature performances by the Pioneer drama and music departments.

For more information contact Annie Deckert, 997-3793.