While it might not be a secret or some kind of revelation, there are keys to being a good dancer. Julia Kirkey has her own unique take on the subject.
“To be a good dancer, you have to be able to take corrections well and apply them quickly,” says the Dexter HS senior. “If you find out you’re doing something wrong or poorly, you have to fix it.”
Might sound simple but nothing is simple in dance especially if your goal is to be the best and compete at a national level against the very best. And Kirkey, a member of the Dexter varsity dance team, obviously has been able to take corrections and apply them quickly.
The Dexter Varsity Dance Team attended the Universal Dance Association (UDA) National High School Team championships in Orlando earlier this month and qualified for Nationals in July. Competing against 50 plus teams from around the country, Dexter successfully moved to the semifinals. They advanced to the finals for their Game Day routine and made history by moving on to the finals in the jazz category for the first time.
It was obviously an amazing experience for Dexter.
“For me, this was my last trip to nationals so it was kind of a last chance situation,” says Kirkey. “The team has never made it to finals for jazz or Pom so that’s what I was hoping for because that has always been our goal.”
Their success was the result of a lot of hard work and dedication. “We’ve pushed ourselves to be better and better each year no matter the circumstances,” Kirkey said.
Morgan Dubey, in her second year as coach, is grateful and thankful to have the help from such a passionate senior class. “Julia has been such a light on the team and always knows how to make everyone smile,” says Dubey. “She is an incredibly talented young lady, and is always such a positive and supportive teammate. This program will really miss having her.”
Julia, 17, is the daughter of Kim and Jeff Kirkey. She dances to an amazing 4.4 GPA and enjoys cooking and frogs (yes, frogs).
Her mom, Kim, was a dancer so it was off to dance lessons at the age of 3. “Yeah, my mom put me in it because she was a dancer,” she says. “I liked being able to make friends in an active setting.”
She danced all four years while at Dexter and is obviously proud of where she helped take the program.
“I’m proud of all the hard work this team has put in over the years to get better, and being able to overcome any obstacles we faced,” she says.
Kirkey is still figuring out her future – U-M is near the top of her college wish list. And her competitive dancing days might just be coming to an end. “I am not competing in the future, but I would consider doing a dance club in college,” she says.
Kirkey does offer some advice to all the young dancers out there.
“Keep going and don’t get discouraged,” she says.
