ISDTA PREMIERS JV COMPETITION ALONG WITH SOLO QUALIFYING ROUND

Creston Peppers JV team will perform Thursday at 6:30 PM and Zaina Harvey will perform Friday, at 12:01 PM. 

 
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Oct. 16, 2024
 
For more information:
Andrea Dana, Executive Director
Iowa State Dance/Drill Team Association
andrea@isdta.net
Cell: 641.780.1771

 
ISDTA PREMIERS JV Competition along with solo qualifying round
 
NEWTON/PELLA, Iowa -- For the first time in its nearly 50-year history, the Iowa State Dance Team Association (ISDTA) will host championship competition for JV Dance Teams. 
“It was time to get our younger dancers’ feet wet,” said ISDTA Executive Director Andrea Dana. “Our state is exploding with talent and our high school coaches have long been seeking ways to get junior varsity teams on the competition floor.”
On Oct. 24 and 25 nearly 950 soloists from dance teams and color guards across the state along with 21 JV teams will descend on Newton High School, Berg Middle School in Newton, and Pella High and Middle Schools for the ISDTA State Solo Qualifier and the first ever JV State Dance Championship. 
“These events have grown so large they are split between two communities and two schools within those respective communities,” said Dana.
The solo competition will begin Thursday morning at Pella High School and Middle School with more solo competition starting at Berg Middle School in Newton that evening. All schools will continue solo competition on Friday morning. Soloists are divided into classes based on school enrollment. There are 12 classes for solos, two classes for color guard, and three individual entries in ISDTA’s Beyond Limits Category. 
“ISDTA is proud to welcome three Beyond Limits dancers to perform and be recognized at this year’s State Solo Qualifiers,” said Dana. Four years ago we created this new category for our super-ability dancers across Iowa to perform at the state championships.”
Solo routines are evaluated and judged by industry professionals from all corners of the United States. The top ten soloists in each class will move on to finals Dec. 4-5 at Iowa Events Center in Des Moines.
The JV competition will kick off Thursday evening at Newton High School. A JV team can enter a maximum of three categories, Pom, Hip Hop, and Jazz. Teams earn points for choreography, execution, difficulty, and showmanship. 
Spectator admission is $10 per person. Live stream access of the competition is available for purchase and can be accessed at www.isdtalive.com. Dance team participants and fans can also purchase state apparel and digital recordings of the competition on the website. The awards ceremonies will be aired free of charge. 

Established in 1976, the Iowa State Dance/Drill Team Association advocates for the sports of dance, drill team and color guard. As a valued leader in the sport of dance, ISDTA cultivates student growth in the art and athleticism of dance. For more information and to see a list of upcoming events, visit www.isdta.net.


Solo competitors perform at last year’s 2024 State Solo Finals held at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines.