LIFESTYLES
WEEKEND, MARCH 21-22, 2015
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Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Dancers Terika Christensen, Kendyl Thorne, Paige Skinner, Ashleigh Bolling and Charla Simons perform the Rhythmic Mode dance number “Wounded
Warrior” during a send-off performance for the state dance competition Monday in Pendleton.
Dancers take on gritty subject
Rhythmic Mode honors veterans
as they head to state competition
unexpected turn.
Coaches eased them into the
concept by walking them to the war
The soldier gazed out from the memorial at the Pendleton Pioneer
painting, a young Pendleton pilot Chapel and then to Stillman Park,
who had died after a rocket-pro- where veterans of several different
pelled grenade downed his Chi- wars had gathered at Kishpaugh’s
request. One of them was Debbie’s
nook helicopter in Afghanistan.
A gentle halo rimmed his head. husband, Roesch Kishpaugh, who
An angel hovered over his right had served two tours in Vietnam.
“They shared with the team
shoulder.
This likeness of Adrian Stump what they did, what they thought,
appeared on a rolling panel used in what they felt,” Kishbaugh said. “It
a routine performed by the Pendle- made quite an impression.”
“It was cool to hear their stories,”
ton High School Rhythmic Mode
dance team. During Monday’s said senior dancer Haley Parsons.
In later weeks, the dancers
showcase performance in the PHS
gym, the 28 girls donned sparkly watched “Fury,” “Unbroken” and
versions of World War II nurses’ “American Sniper” to marinate in
ÀLJKWVXLWVDQGSRUWUD\HGWKHVWDUN the subject before learning their
new
routine.
realities of war
After months of
through dance,
honoring Stump “I don’t usually cry, but honing the per-
and others who that routine makes me formance, the
left town
have served and
tear up every single team
this week for the
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squad
would time. It’s an amazingly state competi-
tion in Portland
take the routine
to the OSAA powerful and beautiful with high-octane
hopes and a pas-
Dance & Drill
performance.”
sion for Ameri-
state champion-
ships in Portland — Ashleah Markle, veteran ca’s veterans.
“It became
later in the week.
The gritty topic of war was really important to the kids,” Kish-
something new for the talented paugh said. “I think it surprised
seven-time state championship them how much.”
Artist Daniel Bluestein, an in-
team that routinely favors fantasy
over real life. Last year’s routine mate at the Eastern Oregon Cor-
featured a haunted house with a rectional Institution, designed the
beating heart and motorized spi- rolling prop pieces at Kishpaugh’s
ders with glowing red eyes. Before instruction. Each would have two
that came “Psycho Circus,” a Tim hinged panels that would allow for
Burton-style tale that included a three scenes — on the front, the
diabolical ringmaster and dancers back and internally, in a Rubik’s
Cube sort of way.
on stilts.
Along with Stump’s panel, he
This year, head coach and cho-
reographer Debbie Kishpaugh designed panels that depicted two
stunned the team by sticking to other local veterans — Roesch
Kishpaugh (shown at age 20) and
reality.
The 2015 theme, she told them Ashleah Markle, a Pendleton na-
at the big reveal this fall, was tive and Army National Guard
Wounded Warriors. The dancers soldier who served in Afghanistan
seemed slightly disoriented at the with Stump. When the panels are
By KATHY ANEY
East Oregonian
Staff photo by E.J. Harris
Hannah Schofield pins a hat on Rhythmic Mode dancer Kacey
Robbins while the team prepares to dance at a send-off perfor-
mance Monday at Pendleton High School.
Staff photos by E.J. Harris
The Rhythmic Mode dance team lifts the 400-pound custom designed tarp they perform on onto
a cart after dancing Monday in Pendleton. The team has 15 minutes to set up, dance and tear
down all of their props during their performance at the state dance competition.
Rhythmic Mode
dancers Maria
Knibbs, Kacey
Robbins and
Allison Savage
perform in front
of three panels
depicting local
veterans. The
veterans are
Ashleah Markle,
Adrian Stump
and Roesch Kish-
paugh.
Staff photos by E.J. Harris
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and later a military funeral.
Bluestein built the pieces with
about 10 other inmates who con-
structed and fabricated what they
needed and then painted people
and scenes. Bluestein added the
halo and angel to Stump’s panel.
“I wanted to honor him,” the in-
mate said. “It was a big deal to me.”
Bluestein and his band of artists
and tradesmen won’t get to leave
the prison to view the performance,
of course. Those who did watch,
however, included Markle and
Roesch Kishbaugh and Adrian’s
sister, Molly Stump.
Markle, a 2003 PHS graduate,
has watched Rhythmic Mode per-
form for years. This particular rou-
tine triggered deep emotions.
“I don’t usually cry, but that rou-
tine makes me tear up every single
time,” she said. “It’s an amazing-
ly powerful and beautiful perfor-
mance.”
She planned to watch the state
performances via live streaming on
her computer.
Molly Stump was a Rhythmic
Mode dancer the year her brother
died. Her fellow dancers, more like
sisters really, helped her deal with
the trauma of losing Adrian.
“That whole year, they were my
support group,” she said. Of the
routine, she said, “It is very honor-
ing. He would love it.”
Roesch Kishbaugh said the per-
formance pushed his thoughts back
to Vietnam.
“It pulled at memory strings,”
he said. “I thought about the people
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Seeing veterans and other com-
munity members react with emo-
tion buoyed the team.
“It became personal,” said se-
nior dancer Katie Scruggs. “We
saw the impact of our message. We
were proud to call it our own.”
Kishpaugh said she feels pride
in how her dancers have embraced
their message.
“I think they’ve enjoyed the
journey,” she said. “This is one of
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only one that has value other than
entertainment value.”
Last year, the team’s string of
six straight state titles ended after
moving up to the uber-challenging
Show category, which involves the
additional complexity that comes
with set pieces and props. Pendle-
ton took fourth.
Kishbaugh said her dancers are
ready with a polished performance,
but doesn’t know how the panel of
judges will react. That angel hov-
ering over Adrian’s shoulder will
affect the dancers, she knows, but
not the judges.
“No one will see it. It won’t
change our score,” she said. “But
… it is cool to have a routine that
has meaning and purpose.”
———
Contact Kathy Aney at kaney@
eastoregonian.com or call 541-
966-0810.