Meet some of Hugo area’s competitive dancers

HUGO, Minn. — Avery Nelson, 14, has been dancing for 11 years at 4th Street Dance Centre. She currently dances on the Shining Stars competitive dance line with eighth and ninth graders. This year she is competing in seven dances including Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, Jazz and Contemporary. In addition to her competitive dances she has also started Pointe this year. She enjoys competitive dance because she is challenged to learn new dance techniques, be creative and work together with her team. She also loves the excitement of dancing on stage. One of her favorite memories was when she was 9 years old at a national dance competition in Brainerd.

“During that competition the small group I was part of won first place overall for our age group. We won a trophy that was bigger than us! It was so fun,” said Avery.

She believes the qualities needed to be a good dancer are dedication, positivity, teamwork and determination to always be improving. “I am so lucky I have the opportunity to dance with and learn from a lot of amazing and extremely talented dancers. I am fortunate to be a part of this wonderful dance family where I have built friendships that will last well beyond my studio years,” said Avery.

She thanks her family and friends for their support and her dance instructors for helping her to grow and succeed as a dancer. Her parents had no idea preschool dance class would someday lead to a passion of hers, attending practice five days a week sometimes multiple times a day. They are so proud of both Avery’s dance accomplishments and academics as she has also maintained being on the A honor roll throughout her entire middle school career. Her future goals are to be part of a college dance team and own a dance studio with friends.

Robert Ydstie 

Robert, 10, began dancing at 5 years old. He currently dances on the Pre-teen Dance Team at 4th Street Dance Centre. He recently had his first competition in Duluth at Celebration Talent dance competition, where his team won first place and Judges Choice Award in Tap, one his most memorable moments. The team also won third place in Jazz. Then at Talent on Parade in Minneapolis, they went on to win Top 10 for both Tap and Jazz. Robert enjoys being creative on stage and performing with his team. In order to be a good dancer, he believes in having a positive attitude, listening, hard work and dedication. His biggest supporters are his parents, family, friends, dance studio and team.

“Nothing brings us more joy than to see our child immerse himself in something that he loves. We are so proud of him,” said Robert’s Mom and Dad. His goals for the future are to keep advancing and also be able to perform in specialities such as solo, duo or trio.

Maddy Erickson

Maddy, 10, has been dancing for 8 years at the White Bear Dance Center. Currently she dances in Level 2 Competition along with solo, small group, Hip Hop and large line production. She enjoys learning new skills and dancing with friends. Her favorite dance is her Lyrical dance named “Star.”

In April’s Celebration Talent dance competition in Duluth, she won High Gold and a special judges award for her solo. Her group and line dances won High Gold, Platinum and Diamond, and their studio won the “Life of the Party” award. Maddy loves dancing with friends and learning new skills. Her advice for being a good dancer is working on strength, coordination and flexibility. Her greatest supporters are her Mom, Dad, siblings, Mema, Papa, Grandma and dance mates. Her goals are to improve upon her aerial open turns.

Allie Sundblad 

Allie, 9, began dancing at the age of 4, and joined competitive dance at age 7 at Laurie’s School of Dance. She currently dances on the Glitter Line for Tap and Jazz. She loves spending time with her teammates who have become friends, and gets excited about new songs, costumes, learning and improving dance steps. One of her highlights from last year was traveling to Wisconsin Dells to compete at Nationals where her team scored seventh place overall in Mini Small Group for Jazz.

“It was fun to watch all the other dancers compete and cheer on our studio,” said Allie. At her first competition of the year, her team received fourth place overall in Mini Small Group for Tap and third place for Jazz. Then in the Groove competition they scored first place overall in Petite Small Group for Jazz. Another favorite memory was during the studio’s end of the year awards night when she received the “Super Student” award. She thanks her family for their support and encouragement to always do her best.

“We love watching and cheering on the girls. It is a great atmosphere filled with positive energy and support for all the dancers,” said Allie’s Mom and Dad. She is also grateful to her dance instructors for helping her to improve at every practice. Her instructors appreciate Allie’s respect for her teachers and classmates, and applaud her for her improvement and confidence as a dancer.

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