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The ADVANCE, July 14, 2021/Page 4A
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Vidalia Ballet Sweeps Starland Nationals
By Makaylee Randolph
Contributing Writer
Vidalia Ballet’s compe
tition dance team traveled
to New Bern, North Caro
lina, for the Starland Pro
ductions National Compe
tition and returned with 14
national championships, 24
Top 3 Placements, 15 Dia
mond Adjudications and 7
of 8 possible overall highest
score of the competition
awards.
Vidalia Ballet swept the
Recreational Level, taking
several overall highest scores
and overall placements. So
loists Savannah Lee Powell,
Ava Proctor, Raegan Cor
bett, Mandy Johnson, and
Marlee Williams took sec
ond and third place rank
ings in their respective age
divisions. National Cham
pion soloists were Kyndal
Carroll, Blakely Woods,
Ansleigh Chambers, and
Kylin Miller. Woods, Pow
ell, Johnson, Williams, and
Miller all received Diamond
Adjudications, which means
their scores are within five
points of a perfect score.
The team also scored
well in the Recreation Duo/
Trio Division where the
team of Johnson and Wil
liams received 2nd place
overall. The clogging trio
of Reagan Blakey, Ansleigh
Chambers, and Kylin Miller
received a Diamond Adju
dication, the Most Enter
taining Recreational Dance
award, and the Overall
Highest Scoring Recreation
al Duo/Trio of the Day. This
number was choreographed
by Casey Miller, who shared
her excitement after win
ning the Most Entertaining
award. The duo has won
once this award once before
in regional competition and
the studio has won this rec
ognition on multiple occa
sions this season.
“One of the things we
have really worked hard on
with the team kids is stage
presence,” she said, “I be
lieve many times stage pres
ence comes through confi
dence when performing and
learning to portray to the
audience the same feelings
you have while performing.”
Miller said that the Enter
tainment Award means so
much because it shows the
girls are beginning to un
derstand the relationship
between confidence, tech
nique, musicality, and stage
presence. “To me, it truly
does show the growth in
the confidence the girls have
found through performing!”
she concluded.
Casey Miller’s choreog
raphy went on to win several
more national champion
ships for group dances. Her
Petite Jazz Large Group—
consisting of Raegan Cor
bett, Kyndal Carroll, Kylie
Carroll, Jannie Carey, Savan
nah Lee Powell, Ava Proc
tor, Gracy West, and Blakely
of the Day. The number was
choreographed by Wooten
and featured Reagan Blakey,
Ansleigh Chambers, Eliza
beth Colston, Kailey Dis-
muke, Jailee Hanner, Justice
Hanner, Mandy Johnson,
Kylin Miller, Amelia Pea
cock, Marlee Williams, and
Nora Williams.
Wooten’s Senior Small
Group Number, “Some
thing Bad,” received a Dia
mond Adjudication, and
swept the National Cham
pionship in its age divi
sion as well as the Overall
Highest Scoring Advanced
Small Group of the Day, and
ultimately, was the highest
scoring routine in the entire
competition. The number
featured the studio’s senior
company dancers Elizabeth
Colston, Jailee Hanner, Jus
tice Hanner, and Amelia
Peacock.
Wooten said of the hard
work her dancers have put
in, “They have progressed
so much since August,
with many tackling styles
they had never done before
and still excelling,” she re
marked. “Winning national
championships is the icing
on the cake for a job well
done all year!”
Soloists Kylin Miller
and Jailee Hanner contin
ued a tradition they began
at Starland Regionals last
year by taking home the tro
phies for the Overall High
est Scoring Recreational
and Advanced Solos of the
Day. Miller competed with a
tap routine choreographed
by Wooten while Hanner
performed a jazz number
choreographed by Lazar
Womble. The pair has won
these awards at the past two
Starland Regionals events in
Vidalia, but Wooten shares
that winning this at nation
als is a large feat.
“Most of the dancers
Kylin and Jailee were com
peting against were danc
ers who had received the
same award at their regional
events, which means they
were truly competing against
the best of the best,” Wooten
explains. “I am very proud
of both the girls and cannot
wait to see the great things
they continue to accomplish
in the future.”
Vidalia Ballet will con
tinue the Nationals season as
they travel to three other na
tional dance competitions.
The studio is also preparing
for the upcoming registra
tion for the year, which will
occur from noon to 7 p.m.
daily from July 27-29.
TOP SOLOISTS — Kylin Miller and Jailee Hanner have
both won this award repeatedly throughout the past
two years of Starland Regionals being in Vidalia. The girls
were overjoyed to win the awards on the National level.
SOUTHERN TROUBLE — The Teen/Company team of Vidalia Ballet had a clogging group number for fhe first time
ever this year. Half of fhe dancers had never clogged before buf handled fhe style well.
Woods—took home the
trophy for the Petite Large
Group division with their
dance, “Sugar and Hon
ey.” Miller’s Preteen Small
Group Tap number, “Here
Come The Girls,” took the
national championship for
its division, a Diamond
Adjudication, and the First
Overall Highest Scoring
Recreational Small Group
of the Day. The dance con
sisted of Reagan Blakey,
Ansleigh Chambers, Kailey
Dismuke, Mandy Johnson,
Marlee Williams, and Nora
Williams.
Miller swept the Rec
reational Level’s Teen Large
Group Division, as her clog
ging dance, “Southern Trou
ble,” received a Diamond
Adjudication and won not
only the National Champi
onship for its age division,
but also took the award for
the Highest Scoring Recre
ational Large Group of the
Day.
This year is the first year
many of the dancers in this
routine have clogged, and
with the aid of the studio’s
other clogging instructor,
Kaylee Randolph, Miller
was able to take many mem
bers of the team from begin
ning doggers to a precise
and advanced team. This
dance included Reagan
Blakey, Ansleigh Chambers,
Elizabeth Colston, Kailey
Dismuke, Justice Hanner,
Mandy Johnson, Kylin
Miller, Amelia Peacock,
Ansleigh Randolph, Marlee
Williams, and Nora Wil
liams.
Miller conveyed her ex
citement about the victories.
“With the hard work and
determination of the talent
ed dancers at Vidalia Ballet,
it is absolutely no surprise
that the studio came back
14-time National Champi
ons,” Miller explained. “We
have a few more nationals to
attend, and I see not only a
bright future for our dance
family but also a legacy for
generations to come.”
Vidalia Ballet Owner
and Choreographer Jennifer
Wooten, with a combined
ELATED INSTRUCTORS — Choreographers Jennifer Woo-
fen and Casey Miller had several successful numbers
with high adjudications. The pair pose with the seven
highest score of the day trophies.
OH BEHAVE! — "The Company" tap routine was inspired by the Austin Powers movies
and choreographed by Jennifer Wooten. The routine was extremely successful, and
was the Overall Highest Scoring Advanced Large Group of the Day.
effort from Lazar Womble,
also took home a National
Championship for a Recre
ational Level Group Dance
for her Petite Lyrical Small
Group dance, “Lovely” This
dance featured Kylie Car-
roll, Kyndal Carroll, Raegan
Corbett, Ava Proctor, and
Blakely Woods.
The team continued to
sweep Nationals during the
afternoon Advanced Level
competition. Soloists Eliza
beth Colston, Kailey Dis
muke, Jailee Hanner, and
Amelia Peacock all received
Diamond Adjudications for
their routines. Kylie Carroll,
Kailey Dismuke, and Jailee
Hanner all took National
Championships in their re
spective age categories.
Amelia Peacock and
Kylin Miller took third over
all in the Teen Advanced
division with their tap num
ber, “There It Is,” which
was choreographed by Jen
nifer Wooten. Colston and
Hanner received a Diamond
Adjudication and took sec
ond in the same division
with their lyrical duo cho
reographed by Lazar Wom
ble. Twins Kylie and Kyndal
Carroll took the Petite Ad
vanced Duo/Trio National
Championship with their
Clueless-inspired duo, “As
If,” choreographed by Jen
nifer Wooten.
The success continued
in the Advanced group divi
sion, as Envy, a lyrical group
choreographed by Wooten,
received a Diamond Adju
dication and second over
all. Large Austin Powers-
Inspired Tap Group, “Oh
Behave!,” received a Dia
mond Adjudication, took
the National Championship
in its age division, and was
the Overall Highest Scor
ing Advanced Large Group
RECREATION TEAM — Vidalia Ballet's Recreational Level team won several high ad
judications, placements, championships, and highest scores of the day, Members of
the team pose with their awards onstage at Starland. Left to right, front row: Kylie Car-
roll, Presley Goss, Charlotte Crawford, Savannah Lee Powell, Brooklyn Crosby, Kyndal
Carroll, Skylar Zabski. Left to right, middle row, Ava Proctor, Raegan Corbett, Blakely
Woods, Gracy West, Kailey Dismuke, Ansleigh Chambers, Left to right, back row: An
sleigh Randolph, Mandy Johnson, Marlee Williams, Nora Williams, Amelia Peacock,
Reagan Blakey, Elizabeth Colston, Justice Hanner, and Kylin Miller.
ADVANCED TEAM—The Advanced Team also took many awards and placements.
The team poses with their awards. Let to right, front row: Kyndal Carroll, Kylie Carroll.
Left to right, middle row: Amelia Peacock, Elysia Coughlin, Ansleigh Chambers, Nora
Williams, and Kailey Dismuke, Left to right, back row: Kylin Miller, Elizabeth Colston,
Reagan Blakey, Marlee Williams, Mandy Johnson, Jailee Hanner, and Justice Hanner.