Holmes County teens compete in dance event

Eight local teens.

Four youth, exuberant couples.

One winning duo.

Welcome to Holmes Center for the Arts' “So You Think You Can Dance Holmes County,” an evening of taking chances, extending beyond the comfort zone and performing under the bright lights that will pay off for one duo of dancers.

This event features four teen couples from Holmes County, four who have invested a great deal of time and energy into their art at HCA, four of whom have no dance experience at all on stage.

One of Holmes Center for the Arts’ most unique and popular events is on the horizon, and a handful of local teens are stretching outside of their comfort zone to put on what should be quite an entertaining evening of music and dance.

“So You Think You Can Dance” will take place at 7 p.m. March 12 at the Ohio Star Theater in Sugarcreek.

“We’d love to see a packed house, so we really encourage families, friends and community members to attend and cheer on these students as they take a bold step into the world of dance,” said Shannon Olsen, HCA executive director.

Eight local students are stepping into the spotlight, putting their dance skills on the line despite not currently taking dance classes, and in some cases, never having taken one before.

The eight students have been divided into four teams and paired with professional choreographers from Holmes Center for the Arts. With only 15 hours of instruction, each team worked closely with its choreographer to learn technique, build confidence and create a fully staged routine.

Julius Hadtstein and Mikaela Wengerd are under the guidance of Ella Sommers; Lilly Klink and Jonny Shedron are learning the ropes from Ursula Bennett; Ben Bowling and Samantha Hershberger are being tutored by Lydia Havener; and Asher Rubio and Truvy Yoder are being taught by Kori Bower.

“This performance is not a traditional recital,” Olsen said. “Instead, it is a collaborative project designed to challenge students to step outside their comfort zones while receiving guidance from experienced dance professionals. Through rehearsals, teamwork and creative exploration, participants developed routines that reflect both the choreographer’s expertise and the students’ individual personalities.”

What makes it fun and challenging is that none of the eight have any dance experience, something that varies from the previous two shows. In those, local Holmes County athletes danced with a seasoned dance partner.

This year, all the contestants are taking a leap of faith into the unknown.

“It was always difficult to find athletes willing to dance,” Olsen said. “The real challenge has always been getting boys to take on the challenge of learning how to dance. We figured, why not open it up to anyone as long as they aren’t currently dancing or taking lessons anywhere? We looked for young people who were open to the challenge of learning something new in a very short period of time.”

HCA did offer to provide one free class, and each couple gets 15 hours to work with their respective choreographer.

Olsen said the dancers are working hard to learn their new craft, and it should provide an exciting evening of entertainment.

What will add to the festivity will be the inclusion of the audience. While most dance competitions don’t factor in crowd reaction, this show welcomes it and even encourages rowdy fans to support their favorite team.

Olsen said cheering, whistling, applauding, noise makers, homemade signs and anything else audience members want to bring to the show will only enhance the atmosphere. In addition, crowd response is factored into the winning team, and that winning team will both receive $500 for their effort, with gift certificates going to the other three teams.

The panel of judges will include community members Olivia Blitz, Jennifer Feucht and Ty Meyer. Amy Loveday will serve as the emcee for the evening.

“The judges will be looking at timing, skill, grace and everything else that goes into dance,” Olsen said.

Audiences can expect an evening filled with energy, courage and creativity as these students demonstrate what can be accomplished with dedication, mentorship and community support. Tickets for the event are $15 for adults and $10 for students and are available at https://dhgroup.com/events/.

The show will include the dance contest and also a performance from the HCA Competition Elite Dance Team. The main sponsor for the evening is Dutchman Hospitality, with other sponsors including East of Chicago Pizza, which will sponsor the winning team, Holmes Custom Molding, The Stables at Arrowhead Lake and Hummel Group.