MANSFIELD — Izabella Harris couldn’t control her feet. The 11-year-old dancer had mastered all the steps, but when she found out her team placed second at the World Dance Championship, she couldn’t stop hopping up and down.
“I was so excited,” Harris recalled.
She and her teammates recently traveled to the World Dance Championship with Drop the Beat Dance Center. Their troupe, L.O.V.E., was the first in the studio’s history to place in the competition.
Coach and studio owner Shelby Fife said the girls were shocked and ecstatic when their team’s name was called.
“It’s a great feeling to see them up there,” she recalled. “Watching their faces was the best part.”
L.O.V.E. was made up of dancers ages 11 to 19. The girls performed a jazz routine.
Another group from the studio, JoJo, placed in the top 10. The dancers spanned from age 3 to 6 and performed a hip-hop routine.
The studio also took two other qualifying teams — an older hip-hop group and a contemporary group.
The World Dance Championship is an international competition hosted by Star Dance Alliance, a group of top international dance competitions. Dance teams qualify for the championship by scoring high at regional and national competitions.
According to Fife, there were about 150 studios from around the world represented.
L.O.V.E performed its routine twice during the competition — once during the semifinals and a second time after landing in the top three. Dancers are judged on facial expressions, technique, and the sharpness and synchronization of their movements.
Studios had their 2020 seasons cut short due to the pandemic. The studio only got to participate in one competition before everything shut down.
Once classes resumed, the kids worked hard to master their routines in spite of quarantines and family illness.
“Throughout the season we had girls in and out going on quarantine, so practice times were definitely cut this year more than they ever have been,” Fife said.
This year, the studio was able to experience a full season with regional competitions and one national event.
L.O.V.E. scored platinum — the highest point category — at each qualifier and placed at three of the events. JoJo also scored platinum each time.
Fife attributed the students’ high scores to their hard work in and outside the studio. Classes take place once a week, but the students are given “dance homework” to practice at home.
Their dedication carried them through a long competition day at the World Dance Championships.
“We arrived at 8 a.m. and we got done at 3 a.m,” Fife said. “(L.O.V.E) performed last at 2 a.m. when they went on to finals.”
Before stepping onstage, Fife told each group to have fun and do their best.
“They actually did really really well,” she said. “They were all really excited and honestly, I don’t think one of them was nervous.”
The girls said Fife excels as an instructor because she pushes them to be great while still enjoying the process.
“(Dance) is a good way to express yourself,” said Haley Atkins, 18. “It’s like a little getaway from reality and you can do what you want.”
Fife founded the studio in 2017 after working as a dance instructor at another local studio. The Madison native grew up twirling baton and began taking jazz, lyrical and hip-hop lessons in junior high school.
“I love being around kids and teaching kids. So this has always been a dream of mine,” she said.
Drop the Beat got its start on Fourth Street in Ontario, but is currently operating out of a church in Madison Township.
“We are actually going to be building our own studio out by the airport on Ernsberger Road,” Fife said. “We are really grateful to Open Bible Church and Pastor Dink for allowing us to use his space, while we build our forever studio.”
“They have practices every week — getting them ready, going over the routines over and over, step by step, making them better each week, so they can be as successful as they can.”
Drop the Beat is enrolling for its fifth season of competitive and non-competitive dance. Fife offers classes in jazz, lyrical, hip hop and contemporary dance. This year, she’s adding a pom squad. Enrollment is open to children ages 2 through 18.
Fife said she holds fundraisers to keep down the cost of classes.
“A lot of people hear ‘competitive dance’ and it scares them,” she said. “We have fundraisers throughout the year that helps with the cost. My goal every year is to have as many fundraisers as I can.”
Prices this season will be $30 a month for a non-competition class, one competitive routine class for $40 a month and two routines or more for $55 a month.
