Believe Dance Competition
Abby's dance studio competed in the Believe Dance Competition last weekend. It was held in Mason High School. Mason High School is huge- the biggest high school in Ohio. The school has a swimming pool in it, rendering the building a natatorium. I'd never heard of the word "natatorium" before seeing the words on the sign outside the "'natatorium' and auditorium" entrance to the school. One is definitely never too old to keep learning things 😉.
When the schedule for the competition came out, we saw that all of Abby's dance routines would be on Sunday. But, she ended up dancing on Saturday, the first day of the competition. She danced on Saturday because she participated in a dance challenge that the competition offered. The dance challenge was free of charge and winners would receive prizes that quite honestly, appealed more to parents than dancers. For instance, the top three finishers would receive a free solo competition fee at a Believe Dance Competition next year. With solo entry fees costing over $100, that's a prize that any parent would want his or her child to win... Abby said she wanted to do the challenge so I signed her up for it. Abby was one of 20 dancers in her age group who participated in the challenge. Several girls from her dance studio also participated.
The dance challenged consisted of dancers learning a piece of choreography. After the dancers were taught the choreography, they ran through the dance piece they'd just learned in small groups so that judges could determine finalists. After a couple rounds of dancing the piece, five finalists were chosen. Abby was one of them :). Four out of the five finalists in Abby's age group were from her dance studio. Then the five finalists had to do a short improv piece that would be judged. Dancers were awarded places of one through five. Abby came in second place. Proud of that girl and happy to receive one free solo fee for next year (now I need to make sure her studio's dance competition team attends a Believe Competition next year so we can use it!).
After the dance challenge, a number of girls from her studio worked on a lift in one of the dances that they do. Unfortunately, one of the girls (not the one being lifted) fell and hit her head on the ground. It appeared that she had a concussion but we didn't find out for sure until her mom took her to Urgent Care where a concussion was confirmed. All of the group dances were going to be on Sunday, the next day. Obviously the girl with the concussion would not be able to dance on Sunday. The girls, upset about their fellow dancer and friend getting hurt, had to try to refocus on doing the dances without the girl. So, Saturday evening from around 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm the girls practiced running the routines without the dancer who had a concussion.
Six- thirty am Sunday came earlier than Abby wanted; however, we needed to be in Mason by 8:00 am so that's when the day had to start for Abby. Before we left for Mason, Abby showed me the top of her feet and toes which were badly bruised. During the dance challenge that Abby participated in the day before, Abby didn't wear dance shoes. She just wore socks. That probably, in retrospect, wasn't the best idea. Her toes/ feet looked awful and were painful. In one of her solos, she does a toe stand. She said Sunday morning that there was no way she could do a toe stand. She'd have to change it in the routine.
Anyway, despite bruises (another girl from her studio had large bruises on her knees from dancing at the dance challenge), having to get up early, being worried about their dance friend with the concussion, etc. the girls danced their best. I thought that a couple of the group dances looked a little bit "off" but they didn't look bad. At the awards, the first group dance that they did, jazz, ended up being the highest scoring routine of all the routines in the intermediate category. Also, all of the group routines that Abby was in received the highest possible score. So overall, not bad at all.
Abby's solos and her duo with Hanna looked good. This competition wasn't a big one (not nearly as big as the competition they did in Dayton last month). I figured they would place pretty high in the overalls. Was pleased to be correct... Abby and Hanna's duo came in second place in the overalls for duos and trios. Abby won both her categories for her solos and came in 2nd place in the overalls for her contemporary solo. Abby and her fellow dancer Arianna (who incidentally came in first place in the overalls) both received a scholarship to attend the World Dance Pageant. I doubt that Abby will do it but it was an honor to receive that award as well.
When the awards were finished, it was only 4:00 pm. It was soooooooo nice to not be finishing up late Sunday evening. Three cheers for small dance competitions!! Abby and I arrived home by 4:30 and still had the evening ahead of us. I went out to dinner with a couple of my neighbors. Abby and her dance friends Arianna and Amy went to visit their friend who had the concussion to see how she was doing.
At the dance challenge on Saturday evening- Abby and Arianna step forward from the group of dancers as their numbers were called to advance to the finals
...cheering as another girl from their dance studio was called forward to move on
The dancers from Abby's studio who moved on to the top five in dance challenge. The girls in the front were in the younger age group to compete.
Isabelle, Abby and Arianna
I love this picture... I took it after the winners to the dance challenge were announced. Abby and Arianna are being congratulated by girls from their studio.
I wish this wasn't blurry as I love the look (blurry as it is) on Abby's face.
Sunday at Mason High School- when you just want to eat Goldfish crackers but your mom makes you pose for a picture with your sister :). So thankful that this was our second local dance competition this year making it convenient for family members to attend. Abby had a great support crew of grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents (both of us, lol) to watch her dance.
At the awards for group routines- Amy accepts the award for the highest small group routine.
Abby came on stage to accept the award for second place in production routines
At the solo awards- Abby and Arianna both received scholarships to the World Dance Pageant.
At the solo overall awards- Amy (from Abby's studio) came in 3rd place, Abby second place and Arianna came in 1st place
Backstage after the award ceremony for solos- the girls pose with their awards
When the schedule for the competition came out, we saw that all of Abby's dance routines would be on Sunday. But, she ended up dancing on Saturday, the first day of the competition. She danced on Saturday because she participated in a dance challenge that the competition offered. The dance challenge was free of charge and winners would receive prizes that quite honestly, appealed more to parents than dancers. For instance, the top three finishers would receive a free solo competition fee at a Believe Dance Competition next year. With solo entry fees costing over $100, that's a prize that any parent would want his or her child to win... Abby said she wanted to do the challenge so I signed her up for it. Abby was one of 20 dancers in her age group who participated in the challenge. Several girls from her dance studio also participated.
The dance challenged consisted of dancers learning a piece of choreography. After the dancers were taught the choreography, they ran through the dance piece they'd just learned in small groups so that judges could determine finalists. After a couple rounds of dancing the piece, five finalists were chosen. Abby was one of them :). Four out of the five finalists in Abby's age group were from her dance studio. Then the five finalists had to do a short improv piece that would be judged. Dancers were awarded places of one through five. Abby came in second place. Proud of that girl and happy to receive one free solo fee for next year (now I need to make sure her studio's dance competition team attends a Believe Competition next year so we can use it!).
After the dance challenge, a number of girls from her studio worked on a lift in one of the dances that they do. Unfortunately, one of the girls (not the one being lifted) fell and hit her head on the ground. It appeared that she had a concussion but we didn't find out for sure until her mom took her to Urgent Care where a concussion was confirmed. All of the group dances were going to be on Sunday, the next day. Obviously the girl with the concussion would not be able to dance on Sunday. The girls, upset about their fellow dancer and friend getting hurt, had to try to refocus on doing the dances without the girl. So, Saturday evening from around 8:00 pm to 10:00 pm the girls practiced running the routines without the dancer who had a concussion.
Six- thirty am Sunday came earlier than Abby wanted; however, we needed to be in Mason by 8:00 am so that's when the day had to start for Abby. Before we left for Mason, Abby showed me the top of her feet and toes which were badly bruised. During the dance challenge that Abby participated in the day before, Abby didn't wear dance shoes. She just wore socks. That probably, in retrospect, wasn't the best idea. Her toes/ feet looked awful and were painful. In one of her solos, she does a toe stand. She said Sunday morning that there was no way she could do a toe stand. She'd have to change it in the routine.
Anyway, despite bruises (another girl from her studio had large bruises on her knees from dancing at the dance challenge), having to get up early, being worried about their dance friend with the concussion, etc. the girls danced their best. I thought that a couple of the group dances looked a little bit "off" but they didn't look bad. At the awards, the first group dance that they did, jazz, ended up being the highest scoring routine of all the routines in the intermediate category. Also, all of the group routines that Abby was in received the highest possible score. So overall, not bad at all.
Abby's solos and her duo with Hanna looked good. This competition wasn't a big one (not nearly as big as the competition they did in Dayton last month). I figured they would place pretty high in the overalls. Was pleased to be correct... Abby and Hanna's duo came in second place in the overalls for duos and trios. Abby won both her categories for her solos and came in 2nd place in the overalls for her contemporary solo. Abby and her fellow dancer Arianna (who incidentally came in first place in the overalls) both received a scholarship to attend the World Dance Pageant. I doubt that Abby will do it but it was an honor to receive that award as well.
When the awards were finished, it was only 4:00 pm. It was soooooooo nice to not be finishing up late Sunday evening. Three cheers for small dance competitions!! Abby and I arrived home by 4:30 and still had the evening ahead of us. I went out to dinner with a couple of my neighbors. Abby and her dance friends Arianna and Amy went to visit their friend who had the concussion to see how she was doing.
At the dance challenge on Saturday evening- Abby and Arianna step forward from the group of dancers as their numbers were called to advance to the finals
...cheering as another girl from their dance studio was called forward to move on
Isabelle, Abby and Arianna
Sunday at Mason High School- when you just want to eat Goldfish crackers but your mom makes you pose for a picture with your sister :). So thankful that this was our second local dance competition this year making it convenient for family members to attend. Abby had a great support crew of grandparents, aunts and uncles, parents (both of us, lol) to watch her dance.
At the solo awards- Abby and Arianna both received scholarships to the World Dance Pageant.
Abby and Hanna pose with their second place awards for duos and trios
Isabelle and Abby- Isabelle is a sweet dance friend of Abby... and she discovered water in our basement the evening of the Great Sump Pump Failure of '18 so I'll pretty much always associate her with that event :)
Abby poses with her solo awards
Amy, Abby and Arianna- maybe it's an "A" thing (or maybe they're just all three really good dancers, lol)... They took 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for soloists at this competition just like they did at the last competition.
Fierce...
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