Imagine Dance Challenge- Saturday- 1st day of dancing

Abby's first day of dancing was on Saturday. She performed her two solos and her two trios. The solos were both in the morning and the trios were in the late afternoon.

Abby's first solo was scheduled to be at 9:40 am. We were supposed to be at the venue an hour and a half early so at 8:00 am we arrived at the convention center. The convention center was only about a two minute walk from our room. How did we get so lucky? The place was huge and we were mere steps away from the competition site. I didn't see anyone at the convention center so I texted one of the moms and asked where our dressing room was at the convention center. She told me that the competition wasn't at the convention center but rather was at the Gaylord Event Center which was a building away from the Gaylord. Soooooooo, not lucky at all regarding our room and its proximity to the convention center since the competition was not at the convention center!! We found the event center (it ended up being about a six minute walk (if we walked really fast) from our hotel room) and Abby began warming up. I'm not sure why I thought the competition was at the convention center? I wasn't the only one who thought it was at the convention center so that made me feel better. Maybe because I knew there was a convention center attached to the Gaylord? Anyway, at least the competition site was close by, if not a mere two minute walk.

Her first solo was her Diana character solo. She posed outside the convention center for me (this was when we thought the competition was at the convention center).

Posing with Alyssa

Abby performed her Diana solo first. She did not think she'd done it well and was upset coming off the stage. The routine looked good but there was no convincing her otherwise. No matter what she felt like, the show, or the competition, as it were, had to go on. She got ready for her musical theater solo and did SO WELL with it. Even she was not disappointed with her performance.

At the solo awards, the very first award went to Abby. It was a judge's special award. Judge's awards aren't based on scores; rather, they're based on something in a performance that really stood out to the judges that the judges want to recognize a dance for. There are usually four to five special awards given out at an award ceremony. They are not based on scores and getting one in no way shape or form means the dancer is going to do well in the overalls. It was nice that Abby received a judges award. She won it for Diana, for being "Fierce."

The woman who presented her with the award talked to Abby for a long time. She was quite complimentary of Abby and continued to talk to her and praise her for quite some time. No complaining from me as I could listen to praise about Abby all day long :).

There were 40 routines in the age/ category that Abby was competing in.  At most regional dance competitions, it's typical to compete with maybe 15-25 other dancers. When it was time for the top ten finishers, I was nervous for Abby. I figured that she'd place in the top ten but it was impossible to know for sure. Tenth place wasn't Abby, ninth place wasn't Abby, seventh place wasn't Abby, sixth place wasn't Abby, fifth place wasn't Abby, fourth place wasn't Abby, third place wasn't Abby and second place wasn't Abby. Right before they announced first place I remember thinking that Abby either didn't make the top ten or she was going to win the whole thing. Fortunately, it was the latter... Abby's name was announced as the overall winner. YAH!!!

Here she is again on the stage talking to the same woman whom she'd recently talked with when she won her special award.

Right after the awards ended, I went onto the stage to see Abby and of course get pictures of her with her trophy. Kelsei had the same idea- I snapped this picture of them. Kelsei choreographed Abby's solos. She did a great job- she knows Abby's strengths as a performer.

Abby posed with some of the girls from her studio after she exited the stage. Everyone offered congratulations to her and seemed very excited for her and her win.

Here she is with her awards for her solos.

She did a great job regardless of how she did in the overalls. Winning was certainly the icing on the cake of a great performance.

After the solo awards, the girls and I went to our room and made/ ate lunch. We had lunches in our room every day. I'd read one review of the hotel that said the restaurants at the hotel were often understaffed and people sometimes had to wait upwards of an hour to get seated. I didn't want to risk that occurring for us so we brought lunch meat/ bread/ chips/ fruit/ carrots, etc and we made our lunches. As it turned out, the hotel seemed to be staffed very well and we wouldn't have had to wait in long lines to get served. But, since we had brought food with us for lunch, we ate that. After lunch, we sill had about two hours until we had to think about getting ready for Abby's trios. So, we decided to walk around the hotel. Like I said before, it's a HUGE hotel and there was much to see.

We stayed in the Delta section of the Gaylord and the next few pictures are all from the Delta section. Actually, I may be mistaken... this may be the Cascades section.

This is the only picture of me that I have from the trip... So thankful for the kindly man (in a MAGA hat!!) who volunteered to take it. I love the photo even though the lighting is not the best.

In the Cascades section now...

Lots of homages to country music

The lighting was tricky! I struggled to get good photos.

With all of the gorgeous scenery, it was easy to forget we were in a large building. Then you see an advertisement for the hotel's water park and it all comes back to you :).

The girls were shocked at something I'd just said...

Abby's trios were performed in the early evening. One of her trios came in 3rd place in the overalls for duos/ trios.

Ally, Abby and Hanna

The girls with Isabella and McKayla

And that was almost a wrap on our day. After the awards for duos and trios, the three of us had dinner at a Cracker Barrel that was located close to the Gaylord.