Canby High Dance Team Makes Impact

Zoie Fulks, a recent Canby High School graduate, still feels the impact of the Canby High School Dance Team’s legacy of hard work, teamwork and resilience. Zoie started her dance journey at Allegro Dance Studio in Canby when she was three years old. Growing up in dance, Zoie was always inspired by the older girls on the Canby High School Dance Team. They included the younger girls in workshops and invited them to participate during sporting events. As a freshman, Zoie joined Canby’s high school dance team, where the older girls continued to help and support the younger team members.

When Zoie entered high school, there were still strict pandemic limitations that altered typical team bonding. Despite these restrictions, Coach Jenn Chaffee worked hard to foster team unity. As the restrictions lifted, Jenn organized camping trips, parades and other gatherings. Two coaches in particular — Jenna Jernstrom and renowned choreographer James Healey — had a significant impact on Zoie’s journey. Jenna and James taught her to focus, push boundaries and practice with purpose. Their belief in the team’s potential fueled Zoie and her teammates to strive harder. “They taught us to give full attention and dedication,” Zoie says. “Seeing how proud they were of us was inspiring.”

Throughout her high school career, Zoie and her team achieved remarkable success, including a state title in her freshman year. Despite COVID-19’s constraints, the team delivered a winning performance and continued Canby’s legacy of excellence. Although a penalty dropped their placement from first to third in her sophomore year, they rebounded and secured first place again in her junior year with a moving routine that showcased their skill and dedication. In her senior year, they earned second place in state for both routines, a testament to the team’s consistency and hard work.

On the dance floor, Zoie enjoyed various styles, from modern and contemporary to jazz and hip-hop. Each presented unique challenges and rewards. Contemporary and modern styles, which felt less natural to her, required extra effort and persistence, especially in her freshman year. However, her commitment to improving her skills and trying new styles paid off, and she now has a deep appreciation for the art.

In addition to the team’s competition routines, Zoie excelled in drill down competitions, which is a demanding sequence of calls that requires precision and concentration that require immense focus. At the state level drill down competition, she placed second among over one-hundred girls. Zoie sometimes has trouble focusing in everyday life but, during drills, she blocks everything out and all she can hear is the caller.

Zoie’s coaches also fostered a culture of humility and kindness which are qualities Zoie took to heart. As she became one of the senior members of the dance team, she served as a role model for younger dancers, just as the older teammates once guided her through both dance and life challenges. She feels that dance isn’t just about performance; it’s about helping each other grow and encouraging your teammates to achieve excellence.

Zoie is currently attending Clackamas Community College with plans to earn a transfer degree in social work. She will then attend a university to get her bachelor’s then a master’s degree. Zoie credits dance and her coaches with shaping her into a dedicated and compassionate individual ready for new challenges.

The Canby High School Dance Team, led by Jenn Chaffee, James Healey, and Jenna Jernstrom (who has since moved on), are dedicated to excellence. Their influence on young dancers like Zoie embody the values that Canby takes pride in. Zoie encourages the community to support the Canby High School Dance Team by catching one of their upcoming performances and seeing the energy and heart these dancers bring to every routine.