Five students with ties to Iola competed for the studio: SDA senior competition team members Klaira Hayes, Gracie Snethen, Griffin Snethen and Alivia Sharp; and SKA mini competition team member Lydia Schmidt.
The dancers competed at regional competitions at Dance out, LEAP, EDGE & KAR (Kids Artistic Revue) earning several elite platinum and double elite platinum medals and trophies, first-place overall placement trophies, special judges’ choice awards, convention scholarships and cash prizes, high-point category winner trophies as well as each earning crowns in the Miss Dance and Mr. Dance Title competitions.
The studio attended the Dance Out Nationals competition in Branson, Mo., at the Welk Theater/Branson Hillside resort. They were chosen for the Dance Out Elite Performance Team and danced in the opening number of the Dance Out Final Showdown Showcase.
During the weekling competition at nationals, all five earned elite platinum awards for every entry in which they competed. They also placed many first overall adjudications, received special judges’ choice awards and high-point category winners in both solo and group numbers. Several dances were chosen for the Dance Out Final Showdown Competition and came home with three Dance Out National Grand Champion trophies.
Griffin Snethen and Klaira Hayes were finalists in the Dance Out Dance Off Challenge.
All of the senior members are honor students at Ottawa High School and members of the Ottawa High School Cyclones dance team.
Lydia Schmidt will be a first-grader at Garfield Elementary in Ottawa.
Alivia Sharp is a recent Ottawa high graduate, where she was crowned homecoming queen over the winter. She auditioned for and was chosen as a emmber of the Johnson County Community College Golden Girls Dance Team for 2023-24. She is the daughter of Jessica Sharp and the granddaughter of Don and Marilyn Sharp.
Kalira Hayes is the daughter of Jared and Mallory Melvin Watkins and the granddaughter of Mick and Mona Melvin.
Gracie and Griffin Snethen and Lydia Schmidt are the grandchildren of Chuck and Michelle Johnson. The Snethens are the children of Scott and Beth Snethen and the grandchildren of Ron and Carolyn Snethen.
Lydia is the daughter of Brian and Maggie Schmidt and the granddaughter of Joni and AJ Shchmidt and Charles and Loretta Stevens. As an aside, Maggie Schmidt was also a finalist in the Dance Out Parent Dance Down Challenge and is a former Allen Community College Fire Starter dance team member.
Mallory Melvin-Watkins is the owner, director, choreographer and competition team coach. Adjunct instructors, choreographers and competition coaches are Marielle Melvin and Molly Carroll, sister and cousin of the owner.
Mallory, Marielle, Maggie and Molly are the granddaughters of Jeanne Percy and the late Glenn Percy. Gracie, Griffin, Klaira and Lydia are the Percys’ great-grandchildren.
