JandJ Competitive Dance Team
Small town, big national dance presence.
JandJ Performing Arts started their 2022-2023 competitive season with 24 Seven Dance Convention in Reno, Nevada. 24/7 touring convention that travels across the US and Canada.
JandJ Teen/Senior Competitive dancers trained in 5 different styles of dance over 15 hours within two days. They trained with the industry’s top instructors and professional performers from tv, Tik Tok, and professional companies.
Two dancers, Kaylee Micone and Kissy Baseman received scholarship awards to Dancer Palooza in Hollywood, a week-long dance event that discovers new talent and holds auditions for Disney and Nickelodeon.
Mini, Junior, and Teen teams competed in Velocity Dance Convention/Competition. dancers age 6 to 14, trained with some of the top in the industry and also competed in their first all Elite competition. This means they went against only Elite level studios and teams, the highest level of dance competition. Solos and teams did amazing,
Kate Neuenschwander took home 2nd in the category. The teen trio Kissy Baesman, Kyannah Johnson, Parker Foreman took 1st Place in the Category. Small mini group, Superstars, took home 3rd in Category, and the coveted 5th Overall, competing against 15+ other dances and 30 elite studios.
Velocity also selected JandJ minis: Kaycee Freitas, Lenna Wade, and Frankie Bouyer, for their industry scholarship awards! These awards go out to only a few selected dancers throughout the weekend. JandJ Juniors Zoey Nicholson and Lilly Piscotti also received this desired award for their age group!
JandJ then took the stage at Encore Performing Arts in the Reno Convention center, where they battled the best studios from Northern Nevada, Arizona, Las Vegas, and California Bay. Here JandJ swept the overalls. Kissy Baesman and Mary Weekly took home platinum and first-place trophies for their solos choreographed by Jessica Wade. Parker Foreman, and Kaylee Micone, received platinum and took home 2nd Overall awards for their solos, beating out over 15 soloists for their spot. Olivia Ormachea, “Miss Lassen County,” took home 4th overall and platinum in her first-ever competitive solo.
Teams also went home with big awards, Teen group routine “Flowers” left with a Platinum award, 2nd overall, and a Judge’s Award. Our newest competitive dancers, Melody Guess, Kaycee Freitas, and Aubrey Foreman, took home 2nd Overall for their Jazz trio, “Harley Anthem”. They debuted their new skills to over 1,000 audience members, dancers, judges, and staff.
Starbound Competition was next. This regional competition qualified JandJ for Starbound National Competition. JandJ will compete for titles in July 2023.
JandJ earned fifteen 1st Place trophies and numerous judges and studio awards. The youngest soloist Kaycee Freitas (age 7), took home Elite Gold and Judges Award “Miss Personality.” Duet “Shimmer Shine,” Amaiya Lofton and Joan Joyner, took home 1st Place and the Judges Award “Dynamic Duo.”
Mary Weekley (age 16) was awarded Senior Most Photogenic, with her photograph taken by Stephanie Blakeman Photography. Advanced soloists Kate Neuenschwander and Zoey Nicholson were awarded “Ignite Scholarships.” Advanced small group, junior jazz, “Superstars,” was given 1st place and the most wanted award of the weekend, a fan blaze from Joe Berry.
Of course, JandJ was back on the stage, this time in Carson City, Nevada, at Thunderstruck. All of JandJ’s advanced teen and senior solos placed top 10. Kissy Baesman took 1st overall in teen solos. Mariah Beckman took home 5th for all senior solos. Kylee Tancreto took home 1st in teen novice solos and was an overall high-score winner! Mini-group routine “Rise Up” went home with 1st Overall. Senior duet “Like You Do,” danced by Allie Chandler and Taryn Farris, took home 1st Place Overall. Teen Hip Hop “Link Up” and teen jazz “Clueless” took home that 1st Place award.
Scholarships were given to very few dancers over the weekend. Still, JandJ dancers Lenna Wade, Kissy Baesman, and Mariah Beckman left the stage with Scholarships to perform in Las Vegas on the national stage.
30 dancers and 30 dance routines make up JandJ’s Competition Team. This has been a fire season for them, and they still have more competitions, conventions, and nationals to take on.
“We are so proud to compete against the best, most decorated studios in our region.
The caliber of your competitors is what challenges you to do your very best.” Jessica Wade
