At a recent dance competition, Adrenaline, a group of Powell dance caretakers participated in their very own performance to support their dancers.

“The parent crew is a performance opportunity for parents of dancers participating in Revive or Adrenaline Dance Convention to perform in the final showcase of the event,” dance parent Mrs. Lisa Jarvis said. “The class is taught by one of the professionals. During the class, the parents are taught dance choreography. In the case of my most recent participation in the parent crew at Adrenaline in Billings, the genre was hip-hop. It was so much fun.”

This opportunity created an understanding between parents and dancers on why the sport is so intense.

“What inspired me to do the dance was my daughter, Anna Smith,” Mrs. Jarvis said. “She first encouraged me to do it two years ago in Denver with [sistering dance competition] Revive. She really wanted me to feel what it’s like to be on stage performing a dance in front of a live and live-streamed audience. It definitely gave me a new appreciation for performance anxiety.”

This created a nice break in the normally stressful weekend for the parents and students alike.

“Cayleigh absolutely loved it,” dance parent Mr. Tony Douzenis said. “She loved that we can share these moments together on the stage, even though she is a better dancer than me. But it made me proud knowing that she loved that I did it. My favorite part was dancing with my parent peers and just having fun. That’s what the art of dance is all about. Being free and just having fun. And sharing that with other parents is a wonderful and fun experience.”

Support from all over was given to the brave souls who took on the challenge of performing in front of the entire competition participants.

“All of the girls were yelling and screaming [with] excitement watching their parents on stage performing,” Mrs. Jarvis said. “They also took videos during the dance, which was so fun to watch later as you could really hear them cheering and encouraging us.”

With hope for future chances, dancers wish to get their guardians on the dance floor. With an increase in partakers–last year only having four to this year having approximately fifteen–more pressure is put on other adults to join in the fun.

“[My dad] thought it would be embarrassing,” junior dancer Brittney Wambeke said. “I wanted him to because it was a way for him to be included in the competition. He said he might [dance] for my senior year.”

When looking for new competitions to compete in next season, these extra bonuses are taken into consideration. 

“I would watch it again and again,” dance teacher Ms. Mariah Lang said. “The parent crew was a unique experience for the parents to feel the pressures of performing in front of a large audience, so I think it made their dancers feel more understood. It showed the dancers that they don’t always have to take everything so seriously. It’s okay to have fun.”