Green trees and a warm breeze, it’s off to Florida, she goes. Through leaps and spins, junior Ellie Stone has been gaining traction in her dancing career. Now, she and the Forest Hills Central Varsity Dance Team (FHCVDT) leap off towards Florida to prove their unmatched skill in the National Dance Competition. Even while she faces the stage now, her dancing journey started long ago.
“I’ve been on the [FHC dance team] for three years, and I’m a junior, so I’ve been on it my entire high school career.” Ellie said, “I’ve been doing dance since I was 4 years old, I’m 17 now, meaning I’ve been doing dance for 13 years.”
Most people can hardly say they’ve been doing something for a year, much less 13. Still, Ellie’s love of dance continues to grow, even if the bruises and sore spots make it hard to keep going. Due to her young start in dance and countless late nights, dance has earned a large role throughout her entire life.
While her skills grow and technique adapts, dance molds her in more ways than physical. Her mental outlook on life and social circle have all adjusted to fit her dance-focused lifestyle. Crafting her new friendships, ideas, and memories.
“[Dance] has shaped me, I think, into a better person,” Ellie said, “I have been able to take criticism better when being judged straight in front of my face. It has brought me closer to a lot of people that I normally wouldn’t have had the chance to be friends with, and I’m grateful for that. Dance also taught me to collaborate with teammates.”
After training and dancing with her teammates through countless practices, Ellie and the FHCVDT have earned their spot at Nationals for the second time in her high school career. In her sophomore year, Ellie participated in Nationals for the first time with her new friends and teammates. The opportunity to participate in Nationals twice in her three years so far at FHC has left Ellie feeling incredibly grateful and proud. Now, she plans to work even harder in hopes of returning once again to Nationals in her senior year.
“My team has consistently gone [to nationals] every other year, we’re hoping to make that every year. So my sophomore year, last year, I was able to go to nationals,” Ellie said, “which I found to be a great experience and I really loved. Thankfully, I have the opportunity to go again in my junior year.”
This year, her team headed to Orlando, Florida, to compete yet again. Due to their location, Ellie is excited to visit Disney Springs with her friends on their time off. Rooming with teammates, basking in the sun, and reminiscing about her sophomore year, Ellie is filled with excitement.
“We go to Orlando, Florida, right outside of Disney. We can actually see Epcot from our hotel room,” Ellie said. “We visit Disney Springs, but we don’t get to go to any parks, which would be a dream; unfortunately, it’s a little pricey. But we do get to go to Disney Springs. The last Nationals we had dinner at the Paddle Boat, a restaurant there”
However, even with the warm sun, stunning views, and tempting proximity to Disney World, there is still a competition to face. Due to the competition encompassing all varsity dance teams in the nation, the competition is always fierce. Even if they come home without a win, Ellie is still so grateful for the opportunity presented to her and can’t wait to see if she can go again in her senior year.
“Nationals itself is a very competitive environment.” Ellie said, “There are hundreds of teams from all over the United States, so competition is insane, but we believe that we have a chance with all of our dances, and we just hope for the best.”
Dance has brought so much into Ellie’s life and has changed it. While she grew up with dance, she doesn’t plan to pursue dance in college, due to the wear and tear on her body over the years. However, she doesn’t regret a single moment that she spent dancing. Dance will always hold a special place in her heart, and while she will miss it, she’ll always treasure the time she spent with her team. The approaching finish line that comes with senior year will only push her to take full advantage of her upcoming last year on the FHC Varsity Dance Team.
“I’ve been dancing for what feels like forever,” Ellie said. “I don’t plan to continue dancing after high school, even though it’s been so much fun. For anyone planning to join the dance team, keep in mind it’ll be best if you have experience already, but it’s worth it.”
