A proposed Royal Oak Middle School dance team is expected to launch in January 2027, giving young dancers a path toward the varsity program at Royal Oak High School.
Agnes Goeddecke-Clark, a Royal Oak High School dance alum and instructor at Juliana’s Academy of Dance, is developing the program, according to the Acorn Newsmagazine. The squad will be called the Bulldog Dance Team.
A primary goal is to help middle school dancers develop the skills needed to join the high school team, the Acorn reported.
The high school program had been inactive for two years before its revival under head coach Kate Martin, according to a December 2024 Acorn article.
Martin was hired after her sister-in-law, Royal Oak Middle School Principal Kristen Meldrum, suggested she apply. Her involvement began during the 2023-24 school year with support from Royal Oak High School Athletic Director Daniel Russell, the article reported.
“Mr. Russell, the athletic director, was a huge advocate in making this happen,” Martin told the Acorn.
The Oct. 16, 2026, article describes the revived high school team as entering its third year.
Martin told the Acorn that connecting with dancers earlier could help sustain interest in the program. She identified the middle school as a place to reach prospective team members.
Sophomore Lucia Ruiz, a high school dance team member, said introducing students to dance in middle school could make the transition to varsity easier.
“This way, we will already have a community,” Ruiz told the Acorn.
The varsity squad plans to promote the proposed middle school program at its annual Youth Dance Clinic. Elementary and middle school participants learn choreography and perform during a basketball halftime show, according to the Oct. 16 article.
The high school team’s first youth camp took place Dec. 13, 2024, for students in kindergarten through eighth grade, according to the earlier Acorn report.
