Dance Nationals!

Sarah and I travelled with her dance studio, Center Stage Dance Studio, to the Starpower Nationals Dance Competition in Branson, Missouri this past week. 

We caravanned for most of the way with 2 of her teammates in one car and Sarah and her teammate Brooklyn in our car.

Ready to head out.

They gave all the girls a chalkboard marker to write on the windows of the cars for the trip.  It was a really fun idea and we enjoyed finding other CSDS dancers on the road on the way there and back.

At one point, we passed the "teacher train" carrying Bekki, Miranda, Anica, and Emily. 

I think this is my first time in Missouri.  When we passed this sign, we still had quite a ways to go because Branson is at the very southern edge of Missouri.

Made it to Branson on Tuesday evening. 

As soon as Sarah and I left, Steve and the boys (who stayed home) went to Minnesota's Largest Candy Store and ate candy until their teeth fell out. Technically, Austin was the only one who lost teeth (3 of them!), but I think the taffy helped!

On Wednesday morning, we headed to "Top of the Rock" for a cave tour.  We rode a golf cart through caves and around a beautiful path in the Ozarks with table rocks and waterfalls galore!

Heading into the big cave!

And coming out the other side nice and cooled off!

Sarah with her teammates Alexa, Brooklyn, Reese, and Jazlyn and Jazlyn's older sister Taliah, who is on the Junior Show Girls team and was an absolute sweetheart to our girls all week long.

The views going over the big bridge. 

More beautiful waterfalls tucked around every turn.

A bear cave...

Checking out the bear cave through the fence.

Until the "bear" started to growl. Check out Sarah's face (ha!).  Right after that, she had a big smile and laughed about it.

That evening, we returned to the "Top of the Rock" for dinner together at the Osage Restaurant.

The view up there is gorgeous. It overlooks Table Rock Lake.

This statue in an infinity pool overlooking the lake is a tribute to the Native American tribes that were forced into a death march through this area.

That evening, we prepared for the competition the next day.  Us moms got CSDS Superfan shirts to represent our studio visibly at nationals.  We thought they were boring, so we jazzed them up with rhinestones on Wednesday night.

On Thursday, our team danced in the Starpower National Dance Competition!  They did an AMAZING job!  They danced their hearts out and it was the best I had ever seen them do their dances all year!

Here we go!  Getting 6 girls ready at the house we rented.

Heading in to the Convention Center

Ready and raring to go!

My little bookworm!  Ready to dance and killing time by reading a big thick book!

Team huddle with Taliah! She got them fired up!

After the girls danced their jazz dance for the last time, the moms took their JoJo bows to wear ourselves. They matched out superfan shirts after all.

Dance moms!

On to tap!

After their 2 team dances, we had some time before production, so we went out to get a late (2:30pm) lunch!  After being turned away by 2 restaurants in 100 degree heat, we finally landed at Famous Daves and they treated us so well!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

Back to the Convention Center for Junior Production!

Award that evening were great!  Our 3 dances (PDG tap and jazz, and Jr. production) won first in our categories.  Out of ALL of the age 8 and under large groups (about 33 dances), they awarded the top 8 overall and our studio got 6 of the top 8.  The Petite Show Girls got 1, 2, and 3. Our PDGs got 4th (jazz) and 7th (tap), and the petite ballet got 8th. The Jr Production got 1st place in age 11 and under lines (line is 20 or more dancers). They also picked out which dances would go to the "Battle of the Stars" on Saturday. Our Junior Production was chosen to battle and the PSGs jazz "Pop and Fizz" and the junior hip hop "Focus" were chosen as well.

Check out the hardware for the petites and juniors just from the first day of competition. 

Sarah got to accept our first place trophy for our jazz category!

The girls had an ice cream party that night back at the house!

We had the day off on Friday before heading back to the battle on Saturday.  We spent the morning at the Titanic Museum.

Then we rented a pontoon boat and headed out on Table Rock Lake with our teammates.

I drove the boat!

We met up with another boat with our teammates on it and a 3rd boat with some of the PSGs.  We enjoyed some time just swimming around the boats, climbing on floaties, and sliding and jumping off the top of one of the boats.

We also went cliff jumping!!

This was the area we went to.  The left side of the photo shows the area we climbed up on and then there are progressively higher shelves of rock we would jump off.  

Sarah and I jumped off the tallest one together!

Check out the video to prove it!  The beginning of the video is Sarah and I jumping off the tall one together. The second portion of the video shows Adalyn, then Katie, then Megan, then me jumping off the high cliff.  I'm 1 min 5 seconds in to the 2nd portion of the video. At the end, you see John go off a rope swing he found further down the cliff. 

We had a blast on the lake! The water was gorgeous and felt so good on hot day!

After a fun afternoon out on the lake, the moms went out for the evening.  

On Saturday, we didn't have to be at the Battle of the Stars until later in the afternoon, so Sarah and I went zip lining!  We went to Adventure Ziplines of Branson.  There were 4 bouncy bridges and 7 zip lines, the longest of which was 1/3 of a mile long.  Because Sarah is just under the 70 pound limit, we rode the lines tandem.  They took some photos on the last run.

On Saturday evening, it was time for the "Battle of the Stars"!

Ready to perform Junior Production "A Dream Is A Wish" for the last time!

Practice time in the lobby.

Sarah is in the bottom right of the this photo in the front of the blue line.

They were incredible! They had all new judges for the Battle and they awarded 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place for 11 and under small groups, large groups, and lines.  CSDS won all 3 categories!  For age 11 and under small group, the junior hip hop routine "Focus" won 1st place!  For large group, the PSG jazz "Pop and Fizz" won 1st place!  And for age 11 and under line, our production "A Dream Is A Wish" won the title!

THEN, they announced the overall champion of the Battle of the Stars, the "Premier Cup" winner - "A Dream Is A Wish"!!  We are National Champions!

Sarah standing between 2 of the group's big trophies, with the Premier Cup banner behind her.

Here are the petite and junior teams with most of the trophies and banners they won just at the nationals competition!  Check out that hardware!

On Sunday, we headed home, this time with "National Champions" on the back of the car!

We are SO proud of Sarah and her team and her studio!  They did an absolutely incredible job!  So proud to be a part of such an amazing studio family!