This past weekend, the Milligan College dance team loaded up the vans and headed to Atlanta, Ga., where they competed in the “Beyond the Stars” dance competition. Seven dance studios made up this competition. They spent the weekend dancing and performing to the best of their abilities in the hopes of getting the Milligan “dance team” name out to the public.
Beyond the Stars is a company that travels around the United States holding different dance competitions. The company wants to make sure that dancers attend and compete in a positive and competitive atmosphere.
Before hitting the road, the Milligan dance team spent hours practicing the routines they would perform in Atlanta.
“We always go into competition hoping to do our best and to glorify God through all of our actions and interactions throughout the weekend,” said head dance coach, Rhonda Paulson.
The team spent most of the weekend competing together, but there were some girls that participated and performed in the solo and duet categories for the first time. This not only showcased their abilities, but it also showed that the dancers were willing and able to step out of the usual team routines and compete on their own.
At the end of the weekend, the dance team came out on top by winning the “Emotional” award. This award was given to the team with the most thought-provoking performance, and the Milligan dancers won it with their performance to the song “Stand By You”.
“This ‘Emotional’ award was particularly meaningful, because our dance this year was to the theme song for the Isaiah 117 House!” Paulson said.
The Isaiah 117 House is an organization founded by Paulson and her family. This organization is dedicated to creating a better environment for foster children while they are waiting to be placed in a new home. This new foundation is raising awareness for these children in the surrounding counties.