That’s not the Radio City Rockettes sharing the stage at Evansville Philharmonic’s Peppermint Pops holiday concerts. The polished, high-kicking, green-donned dancers are the Huskettes of North High School.
The team performs at pep rallies and cheers at Huskies’ athletic events, but the addition of Peppermint Pops appearances in 2022 brings it more into the community spotlight. As a dancer, Taylor Farmer had performed at Peppermint Pops and, when she took over coaching the Huskettes in 2021, asked if EP would like a Rockettes-style kick-line for future performances. For EP’s 90th season, the dance team will perform two routines.
Although the Huskettes have been around since former North teacher Jane Bernhardt founded the dance team in 1969, they have seen several firsts recently. In January, the Huskettes made history as North’s first dance team to compete in hip-hop, jazz, and game day routines at the Universal Dance Association’s national championship in Orlando, Florida. On the horizon is the 2025-26 Indiana High School Dance Association competition season.
Four of this year’s graduating members — Taylor Deckman, Colby Watson, Makenzie Sartore, and Madalyn Crabtree — were recruited as freshmen by Farmer, who considers them her founding members.
“I like that we can get out in the community, and not just perform for parents or students,” Sartore says.
“It’s one of our favorite things that we do in the season,” Farmer adds. “I want to make my dancers really happy … why not make it fun while they’re here?”
Says Deckman, “My favorite part is the community, the girls around us. We lift each other up.”
PEPPERMINT POPS
7 p.m. Dec. 7; 2 p.m. Dec. 8
evansvillephilharmonic.org
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