The Buccaneer

Issue date: 4/22/08 Section: Sports

Media Credit: Submitted by Jennifer King Pirettes and Pirate Crew team with coach Jennifer King (center right). [Click to enlarge]

Peninsula College is dropping its dance team, the Peninsula Pirettes and the Pirate Crew, as of next year. Dance team coach Jennifer King said the decision came without an opportunity to improve or even a private meeting to discuss it until after the decision was made. King was told she would not have the opportunity of a dance team next year and that the final decision was made by the "vp cabinet."

"I just can't understand--why now, when our dance clinic attendance has doubled and people are starting to recognize that PC even has a dance team? The Irrigation Festival and Juan De Fuca both contacted me about performing," said King, adding that the dance team has been the only PC presence at these two events for the last 3 years."

King said that the Pirettes started in 2005 with 5 student dancers and herself as the coach--all experienced performers. "The second year we had 5 students and me-again, a strong team," King said. But during 2007, King said that only 2 dancers returned from the previous year.

With one veteran dancer injured most of the season and several dancers out because of the flu, for a few games PC had a "ghost" team with only 5 or 6 dancers on the floor. This past year the dance team expanded by adding male dancers, who called themselves the Pirate Crew, and King says they all worked great together.

"When we were having trouble getting gym time, some of the guys-on their own-volunteered time teaching at the Y in exchange for using the Y gym for dance practice," said King.

When asked about the team drop, Director of Athletic and Student Programs Rick Ross said that he wasn't involved in the decision and was just the messenger delivering the news.

"The college was pushing for quantity and quality in the dance team and the number of participants in the team just wasn't where they wanted it to be. We got some quality in the dancers, but not quantity," he said, adding that the dance program didn't get the support hoped for from the high school and the area in general. "I'm not sure why, but it seems if your goal is to be competitive, you need 16-20 members with experience."

Continued...

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