We Don’t Judge….well, we kinda do….

The dance team competition season has come to a close, and we were so blessed and fortunate to be a part of a lot of great competitions this year serving as judges, watching teams perform our choreography, and helping to prepare teams for competition day!  I am always so amazed at the talent level of the performers and the creativity of the choreography at the high school level.  A lot of productions get to rely on all kinds of bells and whistles like video backdrops, aerial elements, cool lighting and maybe some pyro thrown in.  These girls have a gym floor and that’s it, and they still are able to find ways to entertain!  Love it!

I was absolutely giddy to judge the Lee’s Summit North Invitational, my favorite competition in the whole wide world (besides the Kansas City Classic) again this year, AND Fallon, Kayla, and Cassie got to join me as solo and ensemble judges!  It was so great having them there!  It was a record year for the contest.  So very happy for Shelley McCain and her Northern Stars!  Here’s a photo I shamelessly snapped during awards.  I really wanted to get a photo of the cute outfits and killer shoes my cohorts wore that day to judge, but I failed in that endeavor.  Thanks so much for letting Larkspur be a part of this awesome Kansas City dance team day!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were also proud sponsors of The Lee’s Summit North Invitational, and the Missouri State Dance Team Championships!   Below is our program ad.  Please do not judge, Missy Kothe, because you certainly could have done a better job.  But I was still kinda proud of it.   😀

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I got to judge the Missouri State Dance Team Championships!  Here’s some photos from State:

 

 

 

Me and my good friend Julie Voss Catron!  I judged my first state competition with her about 15 years ago, and we have been wreaking havoc ever since.  Love her (and her sassy scarf)!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Me and Donnette poppin’ a toe!  Love her too!  So good to get caught up!  This photo looks like we took a side trip to the local prison so we could have our photo taken.  Nice backdrop.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Some of the other judges!  Awesome panel!  Love judging with these guys!

 

 

 

 

 

 

I also got the wonderful opportunity to judge at a number of contests for the Indiana High School Dance Team Association again this year!  I love those folks!  They seem to come up with new and creative ways to wow every year.  So pleased to be a part of it and see some old friends and make new ones!

 

 

 

Look who I got to see!  I judged with Mishra at a contest in Indy!  She’s been super busy with her company Nutrisults, her precious little baby Mara, and judging dance and cheer stuff!  Update in a future blog post to follow because it all won’t fit into a caption!  So good seeing her!

 

 

 

 

 

 

The state competition for Indiana is held in this historic and HUGE field house.  It was in the movie Hoosiers.  Pretty nifty.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Two of my faves!  Brett and Sara from KC judged the Indiana State Dance Team Championships with me!  Well, Sara did a lot of judging.  Brett and I were on the uber lax panel and we didn’t have to do much of anything.  And we were okay with that.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As a matter of fact, here she is….working her little fingers to the bone….judge-judge-judging away with the incomparable Kelly Berheide, head judge for Indiana and Bowl Game choreographer extraordinaire, and Jeff Story, esteemed judge of The Kansas City Classic, speaker of Latin, and expert in all forms of pageantry.  Brett and I were standing behind them, loafing and heckling.

Thanks for a great dance team year!  We’re looking forward to working with everyone again next year!

Love and trophies shaped like states,

Melanie