Watching the dance team perform during halftime of the homecoming game, alumnae Raven Morgan and Kensington Girello grin broadly, remembering how just a few years ago, that was them on the field. However, while they may have stepped off the dance floor, they’ve assumed a new role within the team: both Morgan and Girello are now assistant coaches alongside Stephanie Griffin, who has been a part of the program since 2014.

“The dance team was truthfully the best part of all six years [at West Shore],” Morgan said. “And it just was really the highlight, especially my senior year. The dance team didn’t even feel the same as the day-to-day classes and things. It just felt like something that I needed in my life at the time. I’m glad that it existed, I want it to continue to exist and I want the culture around it to continue to be a positive one. If I could contribute to that, then that would just be lovely.”

Both Morgan and Girello danced for the Purrfections from seventh to 12th grade. Griffin said watching them grow has been one of her favorite parts of her time as a coach.

Junior Annelise Henwood, who danced with both Morgan and Girello when they both attended West Shore, said that even when they were just her teammates, they were always people she looked to as leaders.

“They were such big role model[s] for me growing up in the team, because I was in middle school,” Henwood said. “I was in seventh grade when Raven was a senior, and I was in eighth grade when Kensey was a senior. And I just remember that Raven was really good at hip-hop and Kensey was really good at, like, the jazz and the calm, and I just remember thinking, I want to dance like them one day, and I want to be that good one day. And I’m just really happy that they were that role model for me.”

Having graduated in 2023, Girello was teammates with each of the current varsity dancers. She said that while she has enjoyed being reunited with them, transitioning to being in a position of leadership rather than their fellow dancer has been one of the hardest parts of her return.

“I danced with all the girls except for the newer seventh graders, so going from being their teammate to an authoritative position is definitely hard,” Girello said. “I feel like I have no right to coach them, but I just kind of think of it as whatever I have to say to them is just going to help them improve as a dancer, or even as a person.”

Morgan said that she had similar reservations about whether she was suited for a leadership role within the team.

“It’s been a little bit of a learning curve of trying to do a good job because I’ve never coached anything before, and Kensey and I are both assistant coaches,” Morgan said. “But honestly, it’s been so fun. I love all the girls, and they were always very kind to me, and continue to be, as I’m sure I could do a better job, but they’re very great. They give me a lot of grace for that, which I appreciate, and they’re just amazing kids. They’re already A-plus girls in every way, so I don’t really have to do anything to be honest, I just kind of get to be here and support.”

In addition to being the head coach, Griffin balances her time between being a teacher of the Blind and Visually Impaired and raising her 12-month-old son, Briar. She said that she decided to bring Morgan and Girello in as coaches to help better support that load.

“I really needed help,” Griffin said. “As a new mom, I couldn’t imagine making it work without them, [and] I don’t trust the Purrfections with just anybody. I wouldn’t be able to do it all if it wasn’t for Kensington and Raven. They have been an absolute godsend this year.”

Eighth grader Korelai Olson said that having Morgan and Girello allows for more focus on smaller details.

“They come support us at all of our games, and they come to the practices, which helps Coach Stephanie not have to do so much, and she can watch varsity and JV,” Olson said. “Last year, it was harder to get directions. When attention’s more divided, you can’t pay as much attention to the smaller stuff. And everyone had their difficulties in different areas. So they didn’t always correct the areas that I needed help with. But this year, we correct the areas everyone needs help with. We really get into details and how sharp we are, and we’ve been doing more technique this year.”

Girello said that her biggest goal when joining as a coach was helping the girls to believe in themselves.

“Building confidence takes a long time,” Girello said. “I never felt confident in myself, so hopefully throughout the season as they grow, as they stay on the team longer, they can build that self-confidence for themselves inside and outside of dance as well.”

Morgan said that because the dance team was such an important safe space for her while she was a member, she hopes to be able to ensure the same for the girls now.

“What I want more than anything is for everybody to enjoy participating, because it’s supposed to be fun,” Morgan said. “I just want them to have a place that can just be a lot of fun, and obviously safe. And [I want them to] build relationships as well, build good friendships — probably my best friends from school came from the dance team, so that was definitely a plus.”