This year’s theme is, “Dancing in the USA”
BY JIM BEERS
Chester High School Dance Coach, Adriane Kern, is proud to announce that the CHS Dance Team is hosting their annual youth dance camp Tuesday September 1st Wednesday September 2nd, and Thursday September 3rd.
This year’s theme is, Red, White, and Blue, “Dancing in the USA”, to commemorate the 250th Anniversary of the United States of America. The girl’s will be “Dancing in the USA” on Friday September 11th at the CHS home football game. That night the YellowJackets will be hosting the Sparta Bulldogs in Chester’s first Cahokia Conference game of the 2026 season.
The CHS Dance Team has invited the Sparta Elementary Schools to participate in the camp and perform alongside the Chester camp participants in one big, glorious, performance at the game as the YellowJackets and Bulldogs face off prior to kickoff.
Registration is now open and applications are due by Wednesday August 26th to guarantee an official camp T-shirt. The cost for the camp is just $35 per camper. If a family has more than one camper, the second camper or campers will only have to pay $25 per extra camper.
The camp will take place in Chester High School’s Colbert Gymnasium which is now air conditioned. Doors open each of the three nights at 5:45 p.m. Camp sessions will run for one hour, from 6:00 p.m. till 7:00 p.m. Camp instruction will be provided by members of the 2026 CHS Dance Team as supervised by Head CHS Dance Coach, Adrianne Kern.
Completed applications and camp fees must be mailed or taken to Chester High School at 1901 Swanwick Street, Chester, Illinois, 62233. Make checks payable to CHS Dance Team and direct the application and fee to the attention of the CHS Dance Team, Adrianne Kern.
To guarantee that campers receive a camp T-shirt be sure to submit applications by the deadline Wednesday August 26 and be sure to indicate the shirt size at the bottom of the application form. Sizes include Youth Sizes: Small (6-8), Youth Medium (10-12), and Youth Large (14-6) as well as Adult Sizes Small, Medium, Large, X-Large, XX-Large, and XXX-Large.
The camp is available to children in Pre-Kindergarten to 8th Grade. Children from both Chester and Sparta schools are encouraged to participate. Parents must be sure to sign the permission portion of the application form at the bottom of the page. It is important to understand that neither Chester High School or the CHS Dance Team provide insurance coverage for any accidental injury sustained by child participants as a result of his or her participation in the activities of the camp.
A very exciting grand conclusion to the 2026 CHS Dance Camp will be a live performance of all participants from Chester and Sparta elementary schools. This performance will take place during pre-game festivities after the teams warm up and prior to the introduction of the players of both teams.