Having begun her dance journey at just the age of two, senior Emma Richards has grown into a talented, hard working and devoted athlete. Though her time dancing in high school is over, she will continue to make remarkable achievements with the University of Iowa’s prestigious dance team, starting fall 2023.
A four year varsity member and state soloist, Richards has proved herself essential to the success of the Pleasant Valley Platinum Dance Team. Throughout her time on the team, she won five state championship titles in addition to achieving the title of All-American at summer camp three times. These honors were made possible due to her work ethic and love for her team.
Senior Kylie Crome has been teammates with Richards for all four years. “Emma’s drive and support is what makes her a good teammate. She is always there to help others, cheer them on and help lead our practices. She is extremely good at coming to practice prepared, has a good memory and is really good with musicality,” Crome shared.
When reflecting on her time on Platinum, Richards’s most fond accomplishment was her state experience freshman year. “We won double state titles and I felt like finally all of our hard work had paid off. I was so excited and so happy for the seniors. We were such a close team and it reminded me that all the hard practices were worth it. We had won many awards and competitions before, but it was something about being a freshman in high school dancing with my role models and being able to accomplish something together. I will never ever forget that day,” Richards said.
Richards, having a passion for dance from a young age, followed her older sisters’ path to become a competitive dancer. From competing across the country to getting instruction from world-renowned choreographers, Richards dance training has flourished. “Through the ups and downs, my love for dance has always brought me back. Back to the studio, back to the stage, back to the field and back into my heart. It gives me so much joy and helps me escape from my busy life. It’s given me freedom in the way I express myself, gave me a chance to be a teacher and share my love to everyone else. In the end, I would not be who I am today with dance,” Richards said.
Between Richards’s time at school, PV dance team and studio dance, she doesn’t have much down time. However, one of her passions she has found through dance is teaching the next generation. At her dance studio, Richards spends countless hours helping younger students learn her art. Richards said, “Dance has allowed me to meet the most amazing little kids. It’s given me a chance to be a teacher and share my love to everyone else.”
Richards has left a lasting legacy on the Platinum Dance Team. Crome said, “Emma has brought Platinum to life. Since freshman year she has always been one of our strongest dancers and it’s because of her hard work. Emma is always giving 110% at practice and pushing others to do the same.”
Though Richards will be missed on the team, her friends and family look forward to watching her continue her stellar athletic career on the Iowa Dance Team.
