Area dancers to compete in Gatlinburg

BSoD Flames- Front: Kaitlyn Jones, Haley Edmondson, Second Row: Sarabeth Nelson, Kaitlyn Odom, Third Row: Maggie Stubblefield, Kameron Odom, Reagan Davis, Last Row: Nathan Mauney, Rebekah Stanton. Not pictured: Savannah Abercrombie.

Blairsville School of Dance will travel this weekend to the Dance Maytrix competition in Gatlinburg, TN with four competition groups. The groups include the BSoD Flames youth hip hop team, which will compete in the large group 7-9 year-old category, the BSoD Fire teen hip hop team, which will compete in the large group 15-18 age category, and the BSoD Inferno 12-14 year-old small group.

The three hip hop groups are made up of students from Blairsville, Young Harris, Blue Ridge, Murphy and Hayesville. The competition groups were selected in early December, and this will be their first competition.

"The dancers have been very excited about this competition," said Studio Director Angela Puleo. "It is going to be a great experience, and we are looking forward to working hard while still enjoying our time in Gatlinburg."

Joining them will the Grand Champion B.S.o.D. Force competition clogging team. They will be competing in Moving Line, Hoedown and Artistic Expression categories at this competition and will be working to qualify the routines for the national competition in January. This will be the group's first competition of this qualifying season, which began in February. The competition group is made up of 10 members who are trained at Blairsville School of Dance.

Upon returning from Gatlinburg, all four competition groups will turn their focus to the annual recital, which will be held on Saturday, May 24 at the Fannin County Performing Arts Center at 7:00 p.m. Blairsville School of Dance offers competitive and noncompetitive group and private classes in ballroom, Latin, clogging, hip hop, ballet, jazz, tap, lyrical, creative movement, combination classes and more for ages 2-adult. Classes are now registering for summer and fall. For more information, call (706) 835-1415 or visit www.blairsvilleschoolofdance.com.