Most of us aren’t awesome dancers, at least as evidenced by the average attendee of any wedding. There’s a lower lip bite, perhaps a couple of poorly-timed finger snaps, some flailing about of the arms and legs, and maybe a turn or two, if the dancer is particularly confident. At a lot of weddings, the DJ plays songs which contain instructions IN THE LYRICS for how and when to move. The necessity for music which quite literally tells us when and in what direction to slide is even further proof that a vast majority of people in this world could use some help when it comes to rhythm and timing.
Good dancers, though, as in competitive and trained dancers, are something else altogether.
Competition dancers are incredibly dedicated to their craft. It’s so, so much more than just getting up on stage and performing. For us, their uncoordinated audience, it’s a marvelous display of athleticism, teamwork, timing, and grace. For the dancers, it is a lifestyle. It is personal sacrifice, commitment, pain, and endless rehearsal.
At age 13, Avery Krenz already understands what it takes to compete in dance. If anything, it’s motivation to keep working with her coaches and dance team. To her, it’s all about practicing a sport she loves so much. Her dad, Mike, loves watching his daughter compete, and to see her participate in something she loves. It’s part of the reason they raised money with Double Good, both because of how easy it is to get people involved, but also with how much time they saved to dedicate to other things.
“All the extra time I spent at practice,” Avery said. That is called passion, and Avery is definitely passionate about dance. “My favorite part of the sport is making true friends who will always have your back no matter what. In and out of dance,” she said. “And being able to take the stage with all of your best friends. It has taught me to always have self confidence and to always stay humble and kind.”
Like most sports, dance is not cheap. Avery used the funds raised with Double Good’s products to help her parents out with some of the costs. All she had to do was send out a link to her fundraiser, so she was definitely glad to not have to go door-to-door to hustle up sales. According to Avery, the best part, though, was “not having to do any of the deliveries.”
“My family was one of my top supporters,” Avery said ,”and I think they did that because they know how much I care for dance and will always support me in anything I do.”
Certainly, her parents deserve a lot of credit for the encouragement and guidance they give their daughter, but according to Avery’s dad, plenty of her success as a person and performer comes from her coach, Sheila Trost. Sheila is the founder, artistic director, and choreographer for the Energizers Dance Team, which Avery is a part of. The team is ranked nationally, and around the world, for their innovative and entertaining routines. Sheila’s passion and commitment to her dancers becomes evident to anyone speaking with Avery about her team.
Being part of a team is something Avery loves. It’s also a big part of her favorite memory since becoming involved with dance. It was at a competition in Las Vegas. “The practices leading up to that competition were brutal,” Avery admitted, “but in the end, when we were competing as a team, we ended up accomplishing our goal of beating another team…the best feeling in the world, because the whole team knew that all of the hard practices paid off.”
The audience at that Las Vegas show — and obviously the judges — saw the result of all the team’s hard work and practice. No one saw the monthly fees and fancy costumes her parents bought for her, the time spent driving to the studio for rehearsal, or the late nights and early mornings during long days of competitions.
What everybody saw that day in Las Vegas was a girl and her dance team absolutely shred that stage with a flawless routine.
To real dancers like Avery, that’s all that really matters in the end.
Have your own team that needs to cover costs? We got you.