Brooke Maley and Danielle Venter took a group of 11 young dancers to Branson last week for their second-ever national competition.
The In Step Dance Academy co-directors weren’t expecting much.
“Last year was our first year at nationals and we didn’t win anything,” Venter noted. “But the kids have worked their buns off this year.”
The second time was apparently the charm.
The studio raked in hardware aplenty, highlighted by Bryleigh Hinkle and Sailor Crowell’s piece, which earned them a national title in the Mini Petite Division.
They performed “Hakuna Matata” as a musical theater piece.
“We were all in tears when they won,” Maley said. “It was exciting. This was our first year even offering musical theater.”
As a studio, In Step took eighth overall against several larger groups from across the Midwest in the competition that ran June 19-24. The Mini Petite division includes dancers ages 6-8.
The year marks the fifth for In Step, which returns for summer classes July 17-20 at the studio at 3 S. Jefferson Ave. Fall enrollment opens Aug. 1. For more information, contact the studio via its Facebook page.
Maley and Venter also teach other disciplines, such as jazz, tap and ballet.
Maley and Venter have taken the performers to Chanute for their annual year-end recitals, but are hopeful to host similar recitals in Iola in the future.
INDIVIDUALLY, IN Step dancers brought home 10 platinum scores, the highest possible, eight golds, while also receiving three judges awards, two category awards and a best costume award.
Individual results follow.
Solos
Sailor Crowell, Mini Petite Division, platinum
