Tyrone’s Dance Fusion Competition Team kicked off their 2019 season with a successful weekend at the Headliners Competition in Johnstown, and will travel this weekend to dance at Nextstar in Lancaster.

“My favorite part of the whole weekend is sitting together on stage during awards and being so proud of each other and supportive of each other whether we do good or not,” said freshman Paige Shultz.

The Headliners competition took place at the Pasquerilla Performing Arts Center from February 22nd to February 24th and had over 400 dance entries. Studios from the surrounding area such as Andrea’s Dance Academy and Huntingdon Dance Academy were also in attendance.

Headliners was a three day competition that started on Friday evening and ended on Sunday evening. Dance Fusion chose to take all of their small group dances and solo, duets and trios to compete, instead of bringing all of their large groups.

Teen soloists Thaydra Grazier, Marley Grazier, and Paige Shultz danced on Friday and earned two golds, a high gold and a fifth place overall. Sage Rumberger also competed Friday evening, and earned an elite gold as well as first place overall.

The competition continued on Saturday with junior solos in the morning and Dance Fusion small groups in the afternoon.

Junior soloists Rilee Moore, MacKenzie Lewis and Alivia Anderson won three more high golds awards for the team. In addition to that, the small group lyripop received a high gold and fifth overall, small group modern received a high gold and first overall and the modern duet danced by Sage Rumberger and Natalie Berena-Barr received a high gold, great partnership award, and first place overall.

“I love being able to support my friends back stage and having my friends also be there for me is a great feeling” says Natalie, “we always have so much fun and realize how much of a family we are to each other.” Natalie has been competing for seven years and is looking forward to the 2019 season.

The last day of the competition ended with senior soloists Reagan Wood and Natalie Berena-Barr winning a high gold, gold and a first place overall. The dancers had woken up and danced at 8am that morning and were home by mid afternoon.

This weekend the team travels to Lancaster to compete at the Nextstar competition taking place from March 1st to March 3rd at the Marriot Hotel.

“Our team has been working so hard since June and I am super excited to watch all their hard work and dreams turn into an amazing winning season,” said Dance Fusion owner Lindsay Pullara.