DES MOINES — You’ve just danced your heart out in front of more than 1,000 people and a group of judges is huddled off stage to decide your fate, there is nothing to calm the nerves like an impromptu dance party — especially if you’re whip and nae nae-ing next to Iowa State Fair mascots Fairfield and Rosetta.
The Newton jazz quartet of 10-year-old Lainey Vander Schel and 11-year-olds Chloe Rorabaugh, Rylinn Peterson and Emma Noel had just finished their performance to a high-energy, hip-hop/pop number in Thursday's semi-finals of the Bill Riley Talent Search at the Iowa State Fair.
In their gold sequins tops and black dance spandex, the girls joined all 12 sprout division semi-finalists competitors on the Anne and Bill Riley stage as emcee Bill Riley Jr. announced the champions.
The girls won competitions this summer at the talent show during Newton Fest and at the Bill Riley Talent Search’s first round to get to Thursday’s semi-final round. The Newton quartet did not place in the top three, but offstage Thursday after the announcement the girls said they’re already planning for next year’s Talent Search.
“It’s a big deal to us because we do competitions, but never at the state fair,” Rorabaugh said. “It’s just fun.”
The foursome has been performing at dance competitions all season, and practicing together every Tuesday to prepared for the Anne and Bill Riley Stage. They are a part of the Newton dance studio inMotion Center, but this is Lainey, Chloe, Rylinn and Emma’s first year dancing together as a quartet. Their routine for the competition was choreographed by inMotion hip-hop, modern and ballet teacher Amanda Roberts.
The girls each have their strengths, some emphasizing in jazz and ballet, others in hip-hop. Roberts said she designed the routine to merge the styles to play off the quartet’s strengths.
As semi-finalists, the Newton quartet has already qualified for next year’s competition but contest emcee and son of the Talent Search’s namesake Bill Riley Jr. encouraged the sprout contestants to compete in their local and regional performances. Before he announced the sprout division winners Thursday, he reminded all the contestants they are all winners.
“If today is not your day, keep your head high. You’re still part of the Billy Riley Talent Search family,” Riley Jr. said.
Nearly 100 local qualifying competitions are held across the state and winners advance to the Iowa State Fair competition, where there are seven days of preliminary competition for sprouts, ages 2-12, and seniors, ages 13-21, followed by the semi-finals and the selection of one senior champion. The sprout division historically has two winners, but Riley Jr. said due to the level of competition this year’s judges selected three acts to perform in the finals at 1:30 p.m. Aug. 20.
In the tradition of Bill Riley Sr., the sprouts do not compete beyond the semi-finals but perform in the championship show as sprout champions.
Thursday’s sprout champions were ballet soloist Samuel Fine, 11, of Windsor Heights; vocal soloist Mackenzie Crawford, 12, of Sioux City and tap soloist Trinity Brincks, of Fredricksburg.
Contact Mike Mendenhall at mmendenhall@newtondailynews.com