Dancing her way to the top
Starting to dance when she was three, freshman Avery Roten has been competitively dancing since age eight, contributing to her success in the sport. This past summer, Roten placed first in the NYCDA Nationals and will continue to pursue dance after high school.
Freshman Avery Roten placed first at NYCDA Nationals this past summer. Roten is following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother, who were also competitive dancers.
Roten is involved in various styles of dance. “My two favorites are lyrical and hip hop. Lyrical because I can use it to express my emotions through dance and hip hop because of the energy,” she said.
Taking part in competitive dance can be physically demanding. “The most challenging things about dance are the stamina that you need as you can train for over 20 hours a week sometimes,” Avery said.
Although Roten began dancing when she was three, she doesn’t see a career in dance. “I plan on dancing for as long as I can and dance will always be a part of my life as a dance choreographer or just continuing to take dance classes but I don’t want a career as a professional dancer,” she said.
At just 14, Roten has seen multiple successes in dance. One success she noted as memorable was a scholarship to Prairie Dance in New York City, which was worth $5000.
Many people enjoy sports and dance as a fun hobby. But becoming a National Champion before entering high school is a reality for freshman Avery Roten who placed first at NYCDA Nationals this past summer.
Avery was immersed in dance from a very young age and always showed an interest in dance, following in the footsteps of her mother and grandmother who were also competitive dancers.
“I first started dancing when I was three and then began dancing competitively when I was 8,“ Avery said. “I was always surrounded by dance as both my mother and grandmother were dancers so it was really fun seeing their old pictures and doing what they used to do.”
Being a dancer with a national title involves a lot of work and dedication and the need to learn many different styles of dance.
I plan on dancing for as long as I can and dance will always be a part of my life,
— freshman Avery Roten
“I do every style of dance,” Avery said. “But my two favorites are lyrical and hip hop. Lyrical because I can use it to express my emotions through dance and hip hop because of the energy. My favorite thing about dancing is that I can express myself through physical movement and that helps me deal with any anxiety or stress that I might be feeling as I can release those feelings.”
As with all competitive endeavors, Avery has faced physical challenges.
“The most challenging things about dance are the stamina that you need as you can train for over 20 hours a week sometimes,” Avery said. “That can be really hard on your body, and the constant need to push yourself to be better and better as your coaches and teachers don’t always do that. You have to be able to do that yourself and be very clear about what you want.”
Although it’s something she’s been doing for years, she doesn’t see a long term future in dance.
“I plan on dancing for as long as I can and dance will always be a part of my life as a dance choreographer or just continuing to take dance classes but I don’t want a career as a professional dancer,” Avery said. “It would be too stressful for me to try and look for jobs that you wouldn’t even get paid a lot for.”
At just 14, she has already seen other successes in dance.
“My two most memorable moments so far were this past summer when I was awarded a scholarship to Prairie Dance in New York City which was worth $5000,” Avery said. “Also winning National Junior Technical Dance Trio was a huge accomplishment for me and it is these kinds of accomplishments that motivates me to continue dancing and to continue pushing myself.”
Honestly, she takes my breath away when I see her on stage,
— mom Leslie Roten
Her family always knew that she had a love for dance, but it wasn’t until she tried other things, that dance began to stand out.
“Avery tried other sports when she was little but she always had a passion for dance,” mom Leslie Roten said. “Once she reached the age of about 8 or 9 we got the feeling that dance was what she would be doing for quite a while.”
Even after seeing her perform countless times, her mom still enjoys watching Avery dance.
“Honestly, she takes my breath away when I see her on stage,” Leslie said. “I always knew she was good but to see her dancing with so much talent and dedication is something really special.”
But that doesn’t mean Avery takes anything for granted as she still gets butterflies every time she’s on stage.
“I still get really nervous every time I perform,” Avery said. “During the dance, I barely remember anything but then the feeling that you get at the very end is the best feeling ever with all the lights on you and everyone clapping. It’s really an amazing feeling.”
