The day began at 6:00 a.m. last Saturday for six of Pleasant Valley Platinum’s dancers as they began preparing for the Iowa State Dance Team Association solo competition. The venue was set as dancers arrived at Newton High School at 7:30 a.m. to get checked in for the day. The girls were ready to compete as dancers began to take the floor by 8:00 a.m. The Spartans would be competing in class 7 of the state solo competition.
Samina Abdullah, senior, was the first to perform for Pleasant Valley. It was a little bit of a rough start as Abdullah’s music didn’t play at first, and her back up track was needed. The music was rest and Abdullah began to perform. Wearing an elegant purple costume, Abdullah overcame the minor setback in the beginning, as she performed a beautiful lyrical solo.
Next up for the Spartans was Marie DeLessio, senior, as she was the 18th performer of the day’s competition. DeLessio was wearing a stunning lavender costume that sparkled in the light of the stage. DeLessio gave an emotional performance that was beautifully done. DeLessio commented on her performance saying, “I felt confident about my performance, but it is always a relief to be done.” DeLessio has been in the spotlight several times at the state solo competition. DeLessio mentioned, “This is my fourth time competing at state solos and it was really great having all of my friends and family there supporting me one last time.”
Following DeLessio was Hannah Lederman, freshman, the youngest dancer to perform for the Spartans. Lederman was wearing a snow white costume that was almost blinding. Her performance was intricate and precise as every move was done with such precision.
Kinsey Paulson, senior, was the next Spartan dancer to perform. Paulson was the 31st dancer of the morning. Paulson was wearing a black lace top with red accented skirt. There was a wasp on the dance floor as Paulson was performing, but that didn’t stop her from giving a wonderful performance. Paulson said, “I didn’t notice the wasp until I came off and people were telling me about it. I think I danced to the best of my ability and it was a lot of fun. I think state solos is a cool competition because I usually only see these dancers in a group, so I like seeing them as individual dancers too.”
Gracie Wilson, senior, followed Paulson as the next Platinum dancer to perform for the Spartans. Wilson was wearing a black zip-up sweatshirt and black leggings for her performance. Wilson gave a powerful performance of a piece that she narrated herself. The piece spoke of self-image and loving yourself. Wilson did a great job conveying a very powerful message.
Allie Zucker, sophomore, was the final Platinum dancer to perform at the state solo competition. Zucker was wearing a black leotard with crystal rhinestones. Zucker had a minor fall in the middle of her routine, but she handled it like a true performer. Zucker put it behind her and executed a very well done piece of artistry. The piece was done with confidence, despite a minor setback.
The final dancer of class seven of the Iowa State Dance Team Association solo competition was done by 12:15 p.m. and the awards ceremony was to follow. The judges took the time to double check the scores as the awards ceremony didn’t commence until 1:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. The awards ceremony began with the awards for class five, followed by class 6, and then class 7, which the Spartans competed in.
The Platinum dancers had a very successful day of dancing. Each girl was a superior medalist, receiving a division one rating, the highest rating possible. There were three Spartans that placed in the top twelve. Wilson tied for 11th place, Zucker placed fifth, and Lederman placed third for the Spartans. Overall, it was a very successful weekend for the talented group of dancers. They did something that Spartan Nation should be proud of.
