Kerry and Julia have worked on ten solos together starting when Julia was just 9 years old. How blessed are we to not only have an amazing, supportive and loving Auntie/sister but also an amazing teacher and choreographer!! What a team they've become over the years!!
Colors of the Wind age 9: Her first time out doing a solo!!
2nd place at Hall of Fame
1st place at Starpower
2nd place at Starpower Nationals!!!
Meadowlark age 10: I picked this song because it was so meaningful to me. It brought back so many wonderful memories of my time at Kerry's studio. This was one of my favorite solos!!! She received two special awards for this solo "Powerhouse, Elevation & Extension" (Headliners) and "Pretty as a Picture" (Turn it Up Nationals)...
5th place at Headliners
1st place at Turn it Up
4th place at Starpower
7th place at Dance Xplosion
3rd place at Turn it Up Nationals!!!
Tears of an Angel Age 11: Julia picked this music herself. I think this solo was her hardest technically. It was packed with difficulty and a true lyric solo which challenged her. Julia's best performance was her last one at Starquest nationals in Virginia Beach. She received special awards for "Beauty & Grace" at Starquest regionals and "Emotional & Angelic" at Turn it Up which perfectly described her performances with this solo.
8th place Headliners
5th place IDC
2nd place Turn it Up
3rd place Showbiz
7th place Headliners Nationals!!!
8th place Starquest Nationals!!!
Delta Dawn age 12: This was another song that I picked for sentimental reasons. The music was also used back when I was dancing at Kerry's studio. I thought it was the most perfect solo for her! It fit her like a glove! It was her first year competing in the teen category so it was a pretty big transition for her to go up against girls a lot older than her. She received three special awards for this solo..."Precision" at Hall of Fame, "NYC All Stars" at KAR and "Beautiful Control" at Dance Xplosion.
3rd place Dance Xplosion (she got to compete as a junior instead of a teen due to their age requirements)
Homeless age 13: Another favorite of mine!! She won the "Elite Technician" award at Elite Performance Challenge! Probably one of the most exciting wins to date at nationals too!!
2nd place Elite Performance Challenge
7th place Nexstar
15th place Starquest (over 100 solos)
7th place Starpower Nationals!!! (and that was out of 182 solos!!! Amazing!!!)
Cry Witch age 14: Well this solo bombed. Haha!! We can laugh about it now but at the time it was so frustrating. The judges either loved it or they hated it. Mostly because they simply didn't understand the concept or like the choreography. But ironically, Kerry received the "Elite Concept" award at Elite Performance Challenge! Now wasn't that a kicker??? : ) That was the only time she placed or won anything for this solo. Which cracks me up because she was the same dancer who placed 7th at nationals out of 182 solos just months before with a different solo! Same dancer but can't place doing a different solo? It didn't make sense to me then and it still doesn't make sense to me now. The music was special to Kerry and I...again it was back from the Academy of Performing Arts days.
7th place Elite Performance Challenge
My Immortal age 15: After the disaster of a year with Cry Witch, Julia requested a standard lyric solo. One that wasn't unique or different and wouldn't stand out. She just wanted to blend. At several competitions she won the highest medals which was a huge step in the right direction for Julia! She was making slow and steady progress with her dancing!!
Teen Title Winner at Dream Dance Challenge
6th place Elite Performance Challenge
4th place Starpower
Dangerous age 16 (choreographed by Hope): I loved this jazz solo but Julia didn't love it because it was so exhausting. This was the first year she did two solos. Her other solo, Voices, scored higher every time except at Hall of Fame.
Grand Slam, Highest Scoring Jazz Routine and 5th place Hall of Fame
Voices age 16: Definitely her most successful solo! I loved this one so much!! Kerry and Julia perfected their teamwork! She placed in the TOP 5 at every competition! However, she didn't end up competing her solos at Starpower Nationals Mohegan Sun that year because she was recovering from mono.
2nd place Elite Performance Challenge
2nd place Nexstar
3rd place Starquest
1st Runner-up Dancer of the Year ADA
4th place Dance Xplosion
Set me Free age 17: It was 2020...the year of pretty much nothing!! She squeezed in one competition before everything shut down for the year. She competed two solos and it was her other solo that Hope did that came out on top at Elite Performance Challenge.
Lost Without You age 17 (choreographed by Hope). I thought it was beautiful! But again it was 2020 and she only got to compete it just once. This scored higher than her other solo, Set Me Free.
6th place Elite Performance Challenge
Find Me age 18: Julia's very last solo choreographed by Kerry. They both contributed to this one and it's a gorgeous piece!!! She has arrived as an exquisite performer and dancer. She came out on top at her very first competition of the year!!
1st place Elite Performance Challenge!!!
4th place Dance Xplosion
2rd place Starquest!!!
9th place Revolution Talent
Title Winner at Elite Performance Challenge Nationals
Senior Solo Showdown Top Five at Hall of Fame Nationals
The Chain age 18 (Julia's first self-choreographed piece!): It is amazing!! She has so much rhythm and creativity in this piece. It has yet to beat Find Me but has come very close as she has received the best medals. At Revolution Talent she scored just .1 below Find Me and received a hard to come by Revolutionary Medal!!!
2nd place Elite Performance Challenge Nationals
It will be sad to see these NEDA years come to an end BUT she has a lot more dancing to do in college! YAY!!!!! That's for another post! To be continued...
