CL dancers compete at Iowa State Dance Team State Solo Competition

By Michelle Watson

Clear Lake High School Dance Team members Bella Clabaugh and Emily LeFevre, both sophomores, competed in the Iowa State Dance Team Association’s State Solo Competition on Saturday Nov. 3, in Newton. They competed in Class IV in a field of 80 dancers.

Emily performed at jazz solo to “End of Time,” choreography by Katie Stoltman.  Emily earned Clear Lake’s first State Solo Dance Championship last year, and felt a lot of expectations coming back to defend her title.  This year Emily earned a perfect score from two out of the three judges, and repeated as State Champion in Class IV.  She was also the only solo winner from the eight classes to earn a championship for 2018 and repeat for 2019.

She is the daughter of Jay and Liz LeFevre, of Clear Lake.

For Emily, earning a state championship is all about work and preparation.  She learned her solo routine last January, and competed with it five times with Dancin’ With Roxie’s competition team.  After each competition, she listened to the judge’s critiques and applied corrections to the technical aspects of the dance.  During the winter and spring, Emily travels to Minnesota to work with her choreographer once or twice a month.

“Emily puts in an extraordinary amount of time at the dance studio, about 10-15 hours during the week with choreography and conventions on various weekends,” said her coach and mother, Liz LeFevre.  “ Along with eight hours of high school dance team practice a week during competition season.

Emily was also a varsity football cheerleader this fall.  During the dance team’s ‘off season’ she also does strength training with Eric Tooker at Cutting Edge Fitness.

Over the last two months, Emily carved time out of her schedule to work with her mother specifically on her solo in preparation for state.

“We started by watching a lot of videos, first of Emily, identifying the weaknesses and strengths in her performances, and then also of a couple of dancers that we knew she would be competing against.   We would work on the technique of the routine, the turns, jumps, flexibility and acrobatics and then move on to address the movement, making sure each step had a purpose and matched up with the musicality of the routine,” said Liz LeFevre.  “We like to call them ‘the details’ And finally, stamina.  Emily’s jazz routine is high energy- to execute everything correctly and to entertain at the same time.  It takes a lot of athleticism.”

“My goal for the State Solo Competition was simply to put my best performance on the floor. I felt I I accomplished that.  I am extremely grateful for the dance team members and alumni that came to cheer on Bella and I.  I also want to thank my Dancin With Roxie family, including studio owners, Roxanna Johnson and Richelle Morrissey, and my parents and grandmother, Cindy Gabrielson.”

Bella performed a self-choreographed contemporary dance to “Running”.  She placed seventh.

“Bella is very strong in contemporary,” said Dance Team Director Liz LeFevre.  “She really feels the music and after years of competing she is an artist when she performs.”

Bella is the daughter of Amy and Casey Clabaugh, of Clear Lake.