GREAT FALLS — Three dancers from Sole Dance Academy in Great Falls have been selected to perform on an international stage with Team USA this fall.
Blakelee Bell, Collyns Yurek, and Madelyn Hart will represent the United States at the World Dance Championship in Brussels, Belgium.
VIDEO - meet the dancers and coach:
"I didn't really believe it," Bell said.
"It's a big thing to be able to compete internationally," Yurek said.
"It's kind of reaffirming," Hart said.
Team USA is an elite dance training program where the dancers train with world-class coaches in Scottsdale, Arizona, one weekend each month to prepare them to qualify and compete in the championship.
"I don't think anybody really understands what exactly it means to be a competitive dancer, because a lot of work goes into it behind the scenes from what people see," Yurek said.
The head coach and choreographer for Team USA, Kira DiMartino, was recently in Great Falls to teach and described the selection process.
"I came to a convention here in Montana that I was teaching on, and I saw all these beautiful girls, and we had an entire audition process. And throughout the weekend, I was just examining them and watching their technique and just their, you know, their gorgeous artistry," DiMartino said.
The three dancers have been selected as part of the jazz team for Team USA, which includes girls from Arizona, New Mexico and Montana.
According to Cortnee Doll, owner and director of Sole Dance Academy, competitive dancing can have a positive impact on young students.
"I find with dancers specifically the confidence. I mean, that's a lot of feedback that I get often, from teachers, from parents is just the confidence. I mean, they're able to speak in public, they can hold themselves," Doll said.
The dancers themselves have found personal growth through their competitive dance experience.
"It's helped me learn more about myself. And just like for me and what I love so much about it," Bell said.
"Me personally, I'm not the most technical or flexible dancer. So being in a room with a lot of those, I really had to tap into, like who I am, and that made me stand out," Yurek said.
"Competition dance was a whole new world for me. It challenged me a little bit more and I found my home and my community," Hart said.
The competition will last about a week, with more than 30 countries competing.
"Last year was the first time we did it, and what I took away is that the other countries are extraordinary," DiMartino said.
The dancers are looking forward to experiencing different cultural approaches to dance.
"I feel like culture is so important when it comes to dance, and I feel like different cultures and their influences on dance will be really interesting to see beyond here," Hart said.
With the world watching this fall, these young dancers are ready to show what Great Falls and Team USA has to offer.
