bbin娱乐平台 Sophomore Earns Silver Medal at World Tap Championships
bbin娱乐平台 sophomore Lyahnnette Morales ’27 and her USA teammates brought home the silver medal at the IDO World Tap Championships held in Prague, Czech Republic earlier this month. Despite being just 15 years old, Lyahnnette competed in the Adult Tap Formation category, which is usually reserved for those ages 17-31. She shares the below reflections on the experience and on her dance career:
Congratulations on your accomplishments at the IDO World Tap Championships! Tell us about that experience.
The World Tap Championships was a great experience for me. This is my second time competing at IDO’s Tap Championship — I went when I was 10 years old and came home with 5th place. This year World’s was held in Prague, Czech Republic at the University of New York in Prague’s (UNYP) arena.
There were five days of competition in different age categories, starting Wednesday morning and ending Sunday night. After spending some time sightseeing, I came to the arena every day to support USA’s team. I competed on Friday with my dance “The Waiting Room” in the Adult Formation’s first round. Adult Formation is a category of dancers aged 17-31 (I was moved up although I am only 15), who are judged heavily on intricate transitions and formations while tap dancing. This takes a lot of precision and focus on where you are exactly at all times. In the first round, the judges score the formations heavily on their cleanliness and precision throughout the transitions of the dance.
After performing our dance we waited for the results, which determined whether we made it into the semi-final round. As we waited, other categories performed their dances and we watched the Parade of Nations, an event in which teams from each country shows off their gear and accessories. Once all countries have shown off their national spirit, the judges are re-introduced and catwalk down the red carpet. It’s a very entertaining and loud event as every nation competes to be the loudest and show the most spirit.
After this, the results were announced. “The Waiting Room” moved on to the semi-finals, allowing us to perform the dance again the next day, now competing to be one of the top six teams moved into the finals round. In the semi-final round, judges focus the scoring more on tapping and facial expressions.
The next morning, we got on shuttles to the UNYP arena. We did a dry rehearsal, meaning no tap shoes or costumes, just running through and cleaning up the piece. We ran through the dance countless times, making sure not only our tapping was perfect, but our traffic patterns, formations and arm movements are as well. Between our morning rehearsal and semi-final performance, I watched some of the other dances and traded pin and other trinkets with the other nations. Trading is a big part of the IDO World Tap Championships. You can trade anything from pins to caps to backpacks — the only rule is they have to be on theme with your nation (USA flag pins, America hats, etc.). By the end of the week, I ended up with trinkets from Australia, United Kingdom, Canada, Switzerland, Germany, Mexico, and Czechia.
That evening, we performed in the semi-final round. Our group collectively agreed that even if we don’t make it through to the finals, that this was our best run of the dance and we’re proud of the job we did. But the judges must have also thought it went well because we moved on to finals! We all hugged and put our USA team tracksuits on over our costumes. Standing off to the side of the stage with American flags wrapped around us, we wait as the suspenseful trumpet fanfare plays. After the announcer reveals 6th-4th place, we excitedly huddle together, not believing we made it to the podium. When the announcer reveals who gets the bronze medal, the majority of the team is already in tears. After a pause, the announcer calls “The Waiting Room” from team USA. By this time we’re all in hysterics as we squeeze to take our place on the podium, get our second place trophy, and receive silver medals shaped like the metal on a tap shoe. After a hard week of dancing we get to go back to the hotel and celebrate our win for USA. Competing at the IDO World Tap Championships will forever hold a special place in my heart as an experience where I got to make new friends from all over and push my limits.
How long have you been dancing?
I’ve been dancing for thirteen years. I started at the age of two.
What’s your favorite style of dance, and why?
I enjoy many styles of dance, but if I had to choose one I would say Jazz is my favorite. I grew up being one of those little girls who is very sassy, so Jazz gives me an outlet to portray that side of my personality without coming off as bratty or spoiled. Not only that, but Jazz has so many minor styles inside of it and each one is its own art. I personally love all types of Jazz since I can portray different characters inside of it, but some of the micro styles include Musical Theatre Jazz, Classic Jazz, Heels Jazz and Jazz Funk.
What role does dance play in your life?
Dance has always had a very prominent role in my life. I believe it teaches discipline, motivation, and good work ethic. Dancing isn’t just an art, I see it as a sport. It’s the type of activity where you train year-round like athletes and then have to compete onstage and make everything look effortless and artistic. Dance gives me a way to express myself without having to use words, just movement, and to really explore my own body’s limitations and capabilities.
What’s the most exciting place or experience your dance career has brought you?
The most exciting place dance has brought me to would be to the Rolex Grand Prix in London, England in 2019.
How do you balance your schoolwork with a demanding dance schedule?
I dance five days a week after school so balancing my schoolwork with other schedules is a difficult task. I find doing schoolwork on the way to dance very helpful. By the time I get home it’s usually 10:00 p.m. and I feel too exhausted or drained to do homework as effectively. I also believe fueling my body and napping is good between school and dance. I try my best to rest because fatigue can lead to possible injuries in dance or subpar work in school. Taking 5-10 minute non-electronic breaks between each task or homework assignment works the best for me to efficiently get schoolwork done. Although my sleep schedule isn’t always consistently the greatest, around 11:30 p.m.-12:00 a.m. if I’m still doing homework I decide it’s time to go to sleep and I can finish the rest of my tasks in the morning.
What advice would you share with other current or prospective bbin娱乐平台ers who hope to pursue an outside commitment at a high level?
Some advice I would share would be to always do things with the spirit of excellence. Meaning never be mediocre in a task because it’s something you committed to and if you do it to the best of your ability it could open doors to opportunities you never knew could be possible. Continuing to work hard is always the best method you can have ,and I stand by this because “Hard work beats talent when talent doesn’t work hard.” – Tim Notke.