94 campers enjoy 2025 CHS Dance Team Camp
By Jim Beers
CHESTER – The annual Chester High School Dance Camp was a huge success!
The 2025 event took place Tuesday through Friday September 23rd, 24th, 25th, and 26th.
Campers received instruction Tuesday, Wednesday, and Thursday, September 23-15, and performed Friday September 26 at the Chester High School home football game when the YellowJackets hosted the Wesclin Warriors.
Manager and Coordinator of the camp was CHS Head Dance Coach Adrianne Kern. She was assisted by her Assistant Coaches Bailey Misuraca and Emily Roth. The CHS Dance Team served as instructors throughout the week.
Dance Team members include Seniors Annah Helvey Ahring, Hayden Cartwright, Megan Zimmer, and Southern LaChance. Helvey-Ahring, Cartwright, and LaChance are 2025-26 Dance Captains. Junior dancers are Aubrey Petrowske, Macy VanZandt, and Katie Werner. Sophomore dancers include Grace Irose and Justice Mattingly. Freshmen dancers are Peyton Moll and Kennedy Nortin.
This year’s camp theme was. “Wild about Dance”. There were 94 campers this year. The evening camp sessions were filled with learning dances and playing various team-building games. Learning, fun, cooperation, and team-work were stressed throughout the week. The CHS Dance Team members did a wonderful job of role-modeling and leading the young campers throughout the camp.
A very exciting part of the camp was knowing that on Friday night of the camp they would get to perform “LIVE” in front of hundreds of supportive YellowJacket Football fans at the game. Parents and friends were strongly encouraged to attend the performance.
Training sessions were held at Chester High School’s Juergens Gymnasium. Campers ranged in age from Pre-school to 8th Grade. During training activities, the campers were assigned to one of four groups. Groups were based on age and skill levels. The groups included campers in Pre-School; campers in Kindergarten and 1st Grades; campers in 2nd and 3rd Grades; and campers in 4th thru 8th grades.
Friday night the campers gathered at Juergens Gym to get situated in their groups and receive final instructions. Once in their groups, the campers were led down to W.O. Smith Field where they performed prior to the opening kickoff of the game.
Each group learned a dance of their own as taught by their CHS Dance Team instructors. Groups performed individually to their personalized song and routine. The following four performances took place much to the liking of the large crowd of Jacket fans and parents that had come to enjoy the camper’s routines.
Group 1 was the Pre-K Group. They performed to the tune, “Roar” by Katy Perry.
Group 2 was the Kindergarten and 1st Grade group. They performed to the tune, ““Jungle Fever” by the Steve Miller Band.
Group 3 was the 2nd and 3rd Grade group. They performed to the song, “Eye of the Tiger”, by Survivor.
Group 4 was the 4th thru 8th Grade group. They performed to the song, “Welcome to the Jungle”, by Guns and Roses.
Coach Adrianne Kern said, The CHS Dance Team and Coaches extend a great deal of thanks to everyone who participated in this year’s dance camp. Tonight you get to see the young dancers show off the dances they learned throughout the week. Please give a huge hand to our 94 dancers who perform tonight! They are certainly “WILD ABOUT DANCE!”
The Pre-K Group 1 danced to the tune, “Roar” by Katy Perry” at the 2025 CHS Dance Team Camp, “WILD ABOUT DANCE”. Jim Beers Photo
Group 2 (Kindergarten and 1st Grade) danced to the tune, “Jungle Fever” by the Steve Miller Band”, at the 2025 CHS Dance Team Camp. Jim Beers Photo
Group 3 (2nd and 3rd Grades) danced to the tune, “Eye of the Tiger”, by Survivor. at the 2025 CHS Dance Team Camp. Jim Beers Photo
Fourth through eighth graders danced to the tune, “Welcome to the Jungle” by Guns and Roses. Jim Beers Photo
Pictured are the 94 campers that attended the 2025 CHS Dance Team Camp October 23-26, 2025. This year’s theme was, “WILD ABOUT DANCE”. The campers performed at the pre-game show of the CHS YellowJackets vs Wesclin game Friday evening October 26. The dancers received a huge round of applause for their respective dance routines. The event was deemed to be a huge success. Adrianne Kern Photo