There was not an empty seat in the George Houston Gymnasium on Saturday night except for when performances finished and fans rose to their feet in applause to celebrate the Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Dance Team in Showtime 2025.
“Performing with the team for the last time is something I will never forget,” JDHS senior dance officer Serena Crupi said. She has performed in six showtimes, four of them on the JDHS dance team, and like most of the team members as a youth participant in another capacity. “I remember being a little kid, sitting in the audience at Showtime, completely in awe. I remember thinking, ‘That is what I want to do someday.’ And now here I am, standing where they once stood, living the dream I used to only imagine.”
The JDHS Showtime has come a long way since 1988 when the first gathering was performed. Saturday marked the 36th annual event, minus the COVID 2020-21 seasons.
“Showtime is an encore performance of all season routines and more combined in one breathtaking event,” JDHS head coach Kayla Price said. She is assisted by coaches Christa Baxter and Krista Delcastillo. “This team has worked incredibly hard this season, and we are so proud of their accomplishments. Showtime is a celebration of the season, where we get to showcase everything we’ve worked on all season and celebrate our graduating seniors. It was a magical night.”
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé Dance Team senior Shaelynn Lee performs “Missing You” at the JDHS dance team Showtime 2025 on Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
The night started with the roster introductions, 26 dancers and a manager, and dance seniors Crupi, Stella Moran and officer Haylee Baxter singing the national anthem, followed by the team’s Funk routine.
The team would perform all of their routines, including Military, Light March, Hip Hop, Pom and Super Bowl 2025.
In between were a variety of other offerings and guest dance troupes and special artistic performances.
Senior officer Shaelynn Lee has performed in multiple Showtimes starting in the JDHS kids’ clinic and TAFY dance studio.
“It was always a dream of mine to be a part of the JDHS dance team during Showtime and to be able to experience my final performance with this team was unforgettable,” Lee said. “I’m excited for what’s ahead, but I’ll definitely miss Juneau’s family-like community familiar faces and the sense of home and the friendships that have supported me and pushed me to grow.”
Lee showed why she will be dancing at college, while pursuing a career as a radiology technician, with a solo performance entitled “Missing You.”
“It’s about the feeling of missing not just one person or thing, but everything meaningful to me,” Lee said. “My people, my experiences and a sense of home. The choreography process took time and it is never over, it’s something I had been holding onto since 2020, and I’m always changing, so the choreography evolves with me. As I grow more comfortable or crave a new challenge, the choreography shifts. The solo lets my body express what words can’t and the connection I felt with my team while performing made it even more special…Having the gym packed full with people was normal to me, to be honest. I have been performing in front of big crowds since I was little, but walking out there alone and performing a solo was exhilarating. And having my friends, family, and teammates there watching made it such and incredible experience. Honestly, little Shae would have freaked out if she knew I performed a solo at Showtime.”
In another piece entitled “Vienna,” Crupi and Moran shared the floor.
“Our duet, ‘Vienna,’ is about taking your time through the process, being grateful for the opportunities given to you and living in the moment,” Moran said. She has performed in five Showtimes, three for JDHS and two as a guest performer. “So often we look ahead and worry about our future without realizing the blessings we’re given in moment. This dance is a reminder to us and to others to slow down and be grateful for where you’re at and how much you have already accomplished. We choreographed this routine within a week and finished it the day before performance. For me, having the gym packed was a reminder of why I started dancing. As a young dancer, one of my dreams was to perform on a big stage and change the way people perceive feeling through my dancing. As I looked out to the crowd, waiting for our names to be called, fulfillment rushed through me. To see the tears in the audiences eyes as we danced, gave me a sense of attainment and gratitude of the dancer I have become and the dreams that I have accomplished.”
Crupi said, “‘Vienna’” is a song about living in the moment and soaking up every opportunity you are given. How often we rush through life and experiences, and how we need to cherish the ones we have. It represents how quickly life moves, and how easy it is to speed through the days without fully realizing how special they are until they’re memories. We choreographed this routine in a week, and I could not have done it without Stella. She inspires me to push through my limits, and I think that’s what makes this routine so meaningful. This close bond that we have all made will always hold an important place in my heart. The family of the JDHS dance team is truly something special and I am so thankful for it. In this dance, we’re expressing how important it is to slow down, and hold on to the moments that matter while you’re still living them. I couldn’t be more grateful for this team and the impact it has had on my life.”
The evening included the JDHS cheer state routine, a kids’ dance clinic and previews by various local dance teams that noted their upcoming performances including: TAFY Dance Alaska (Spring Showcase May 17 at JDHS), Juneau Dance Theatre’s Fusion Dance Team (May 9-11 at JDHS), JDHS Drama Department (April 25-27, May 2-4 at JDHS), the Juneau All-Stars Dance Team (to join contact jadanceteam@gmail.com) and the always improving Dad’s Drill Team.
Juneau-Douglas High School: Yadaa.at Kalé George Houston Gymnasium was near capacity during the JDHS dance team’s Showtime 2025 on Saturday. (Klas Stolpe / Juneau Empire)
A special musical performance was provided by 2012 JDHS graduate and local singer Taylor Vidic.
“Showtime is one of my favorite community events because you get to see an up-to-date snapshot of the dance organizations in town,” Vidic said. “So just from a joy perspective, that’s really wonderful. And then also getting to perform for so many people…to perform for a packed house in an audience with a lot of youth and kind of to get to show, I don’t know, I grew up in Juneau and I think of my progression as a participation in Showtime from, I think when I was like 12, I helped present some of the senior awards in an old dance team costume. And then I sang the national anthem and then a handful of years, they did small ensembles with various musicians and got to perform in that way. And so to get to come back several years later as a more grown artist and musician was really cool.”
Vidic sang her rendition of “I Wanna Dance With Somebody” by Whitney Houston.
“The attempt was to perform it as more of a ballad, like more of with a longing,” Vidic said. “But then there was the snafu with the guitar input, and so having a gentleman hold a microphone up to my guitar, I think it lost some of the dramatic input that I was hoping for. It turned into more of a comedy number, but I still think it held some sweetness and it was fun when folks sang along. It may have been a bit of a fiasco, but it was a good moment, memories were made.”
The audience also held up their cell phone lights during her song in homage to the tradition of fans holding up lighters in praise of their favorite artist. Tim Powers accompanied on saxophone.
Vidic is currently in Anchorage recording her debut album “Cat & Mouse.”
“It’s going to be a two-sided album,” Vidic said. “So I’m recording the first half this weekend and it’ll have a jazz, orchestral feeling, and then the other half will be singer-songwriter. It’s all on my website (www.taylorvidic.com) and I’m, you know, a homegrown Juneau gal who’s crowdfunding and allowing people to pre-purchase her album and support her efforts to make art in a state that makes making art a little harder.”
Another of the evening highlights was the JDHS Drill Down, in which team members compete against each other and alumni by following commands — typically military style — and being eliminated if they fail to execute them correctly.
Senior 1st lieutenant Bristol Casperson won as did 2024 JDHS graduate Ava Severance, who is currently attending Gonzaga University pursuing a double major in criminology and biology with a minor in dance. Severance is also on the Gonzaga dance team and performed in the Zags WCC championship basketball game in Las Vegas this year. She has been selected as the Gonzaga team captain for the 2025-26 season.
“Bristol and I have always gone head to head in drill down,” Severance said. “Last year, my senior year, she won it, and I couldn’t let her off the hook that easily. It was great to be able to share that moment for once and to see how far my sister (Riley Severance) made it this year as a freshman.”
Casperson has performed in four Showtimes as a JDHS member, more prior to high school with various dance studios and elementary school.
“Winning drill down is always something I take great pride in, as it’s a show of integrity, discipline and mental strength,” Casperson said. “To me, Drill Down mimics how I like to move through life; with grace, dedication and a big smile on my face…Seeing that gym packed will forever be one of the most surreal feelings ever.”
Casperson will attend Dartmouth College in Hanover, New Hampshire, studying public policy and international relations.
“As a third generation Crimson Bear, I’ve basically grown up in this school and in this gym, and I never could have imagined that one day the community of Juneau would come together in that capacity to watch my team and I give it our all on that floor,” Casperson said. “What I will miss the most about Juneau is the community that raised me, the friends that shaped me and the family that never wavered in their love and support for me. I know that the connections I have made here are for life and that I will always carry them with me, even from 3,900 miles away.”
The team’s season motto was “stay humble, hustle hard.”
They are seniors Moran, Crupi, Baxter, Casperson, Lee, Laura Gibb, officer Amelia Yadao, 1st lieutenant Reonna Maloney, and captain Isabella Cadigan McAdoo; juniors Yetke Mertl and Claire Snyder; sophomores Ava Meier, Dainoi Keaton, Linnea Bush, Jillian Levy, Aubrey Boyden, Madison Ballou and Nevaeh Algebra; and freshmen Azaleigha Castaneda, Kallie Puustinen, Zoey Price, Nevah Lupro, Riley Severance, Baila Ouellette, Radar Araujo, Romy Barrett and Calli Peterson.
Spring tryouts for the 2025-26 team are May 20, 22, 27 and 29.
“While I move forward into my future, I plan to continue my dreams for gymnastics,” Moran said. “For me, I will miss the family that was created on this team. I couldn’t thank them enough for all their support and love they continued to show me. They helped me to have hope and to never give up when things are getting hard. But most of all they helped me to fall in love with this sport again. To have the privilege to be a part of this team is more than I could have asked for. I will miss every single one of those dancers and all that they have done for me mentally and physically throughout this journey. They will all hold a special place in my heart and I couldn’t be more thankful for the huge impact that they have made on my life. I will truly love them forever.”
• Contact Klas Stolpe at klas.stolpe@juneauempire.com.
