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A crew of 17 Brantford and space girls returned from the World Dance Showdown in Indianapolis final weekend with not solely reminiscences of enjoyable occasions, however a bevy of awards as well.
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STOMPtastic, a line dancing crew led by teacher Joan Minnery, was the recipient of 4 gold awards, one silver, and the World Dance Team grand championship.
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The crew’s success was rewarding given the onerous work put in over the previous yr.
“At the very starting I promised them we had been going to do two or 4 contests (classes) and I entered them in 16,” Minnery shared. “They forgave me however there was a second on the weekend when somebody mentioned ‘Joan, whose thought was this?’”
The crew started training their routines in December 2024, and with six weeks to go earlier than the competitors, was practising for 2 to a few hours nightly, three nights every week.
Then, two weeks earlier than leaving, the crew’s lone male dancer — Minnery’s associate Keith Curley — was suggested by his physician to not journey exterior the nation as a consequence of a lingering well being problem.
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“We needed to re-choreograph as a result of he had a serious solo in our huge finale,” Minnery defined. “We needed to reposition individuals and get new costumes for 3 individuals who had been changing Keith.”
Minnery additionally entered her crew in 9 choreography classes with routines she created and was rewarded with two Top 5 finishes.
“It’s a tremendous crew (stuffed with) camaraderie and love. We entered that contest in obscurity and left as celebrities,” she shared, including that they obtained heaps of reward from judges, fellow rivals, and the audiences all through the weekend.
Team captain Kassandra O’Brian took up line dancing one yr in the past and secured Hickory Dickory Decks Brantford as a sponsor that coated the crew’s registration charges and all the bills for costumes, sneakers, and hats.
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“I really like that it’s a dance that you just don’t should have began as a baby to be thought of good. It’s one thing that you would be able to decide up and tach your self as an grownup,” she famous. “I’m in my mid-30’s, I’ve two younger kids and a profession and I’m not going to do 10 hours of ballet per week with the intention to be excellent.”
O’Brian mentioned it was difficult for the crew to be taught 18 completely different routines, however everybody’s dedication paid off with their success story.
“I don’t assume it will have mattered if we received or misplaced. Just the truth that we bought to face on that stage alongside some extremely gifted individuals and present our stuff,” she noticed. “During the awards present… to have the popularity from everybody, we had been simply in tears. It was extremely emotional after such an extended street.”
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Team members ranged in age from 19 to 70-plus, with Janice Schweder of Burtch and Louse Reid of St. George being the oldest, incomes the nicknames Silver Foxes.
Both women have been line dancing for 3 years, and say they benefit from the camaraderie and train, together with making new buddies.
“I believe the best strain was on Saturday as a result of we had three routines to do, as quick aside as ten to fifteen minutes,” Schweder defined with a chuckle. “We needed to maintain altering costumes within the hallway. Changing like mad and making an attempt to maintain everybody else out.”
Both women plan to proceed line dancing in Minnery’s lessons however mentioned they’d have to consider becoming a member of a aggressive crew sooner or later.
“I don’t know if my physique would undergo one other rigorous coaching, however it was value it,” Reid mentioned. “We transfer fairly good for being in our 70s.”
Joan Minnery provides line dancing lessons on Monday and Wednesday evenings at St. Mary’s Parish Hall, 133 Murray Street. For extra info, name 519-771-5687.
bethompson@postmedia.com
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