First off, Sasha has finally responded to medication and is doing SO much better! We are so grateful and happy that she is on the mend. :)
March-May is crazy dance competition season, and March sure was great for Autumn and dance. She performed her beautiful solo two times and did really well, winning her category at one competition and placing 3rd overall at another - way to go Autumn!
Autumn was lucky enough to have Megan, Crystal and her Aunt Kim come cheer her on at one of her competitions.
Her team is also doing really well this year. They consistently win top awards for both performance and technique and their jazz dance has won two judges choice awards and an overall best choreography award.
One of their contemporary pieces - Get Home
Hip hop production number
Her team in their jazz costume - "Mama Knows Best"
Her team with their amazing director, Audrey, in their other contemporary piece "Cry No More" - this one is Autumn's favorite!
Autumn is the one being lifted :)
Goofing off backstage with Nyah and Brighton
Rounding out the dance news for the month, Autumn WON a dance down for one of the competitions for all of the 12-18 year old elite dancers. For those of you who don’t know, a dance down is where the dancers are taught a piece of choreography at a master class, and then later the dancers compete that piece of choreography in groups that are whittled smaller and smaller until you have a top 6, and then those 6 compete for the winner. Autumn started with between 120-150 dancers and kept getting picked to move on. When she made it to the final 6, we were shocked and surprised, as was she. When they awarded 6th, 5th, 4th, 3rd and 2nd places and Autumn was still on stage, she was stunned! I wish I had a video, but we do have some pictures of her big moment. It was so fun seeing her friends be so excited for her and to have so many moms come up to me afterward and tell me how great it was to see such a “nice girl” win - we are proud of her for being a good dancer and even more proud that she is known for being kind and good to everyone. As the winner of the dance down, Autumn was awarded a full scholarship to attend a weekend of master classes with world-renowned dancers this October.
Seth did great at his first vocal competition - winning 3rd in musical theater and 4th in classical. Seth also had the opportunity (at the last minute - we found out he would be going 6 hours before he left) to join the LP choirs for their tour to Southern California. He had an awesome time at Knotts Berry, Disneyland, and the beach. I think they also did a choir festival somewhere in there, too. :)
While Seth was in California, Bryce and I took Autumn to SLC to see Odyssey Dance’s production of Romeo+Juliet, which was awesome!
Megan and her best friend, Crystal, took their spring break to travel to Oregon and had the best week being spoiled by Grandma and Grandpa Ririe and enjoying both the coast and Tigard. They also loved being able to see Anders and spending time with the Bakes. Thanks for taking such good care of our girls, Grandma and Grandpa!!
I enjoyed a trip to the Salt Lake Temple with my sister Kim and my nephew, Trevor, before he reported to the MTC leaving to serve in the Vancouver, Washington mission. He’s going to make another incredible missionary!
Devin went to the Holi festival at the Hindu Temple in Spanish Fork and had a great time chalking and getting chalked by his friends and strangers.
Have a happy April everyone!! :)
