Anyone who has seen an episode of Dance Moms knows what competitive dance is like: screaming moms, angry coaches, and overly intense practices for six hours a day. But for sophomore Allie Verhey and freshman Jennie Verhey, who both dance competitively at Jamm Dance Company, the reality of competitive dance is much different than the popular TV show makes is seem, although there are some similarities.
“I think it’s funny when people think Dance Moms is the same as what I do. It actually kind of is in a way, because we do the same kind of competitions, but we don’t go every weekend, and we don’t do different dances for every competition,” Jennie Verhey said.

The dynamics in the studio are also not comparable.

“The moms aren’t trying to ruin each other, they’re usually all friends, and the teachers are really nice and trying to make you better, not make you feel bad about yourself,” Allie Verhey said.

Jennie Verhey has been dancing for eight years, and her sister began dancing with her a few years later. “I thought it was super cool when she was doing it, so I joined in two years after she did,” Allie Verhey said. Both have loved the sport ever since.

“You’re basically with your best friends for two or three hours a night; I think that’s one of the most fun parts about it,” she said.

Although dance is fun, it’s also a big commitment. The sisters have practice every night, Monday through Saturday, from anywhere between an hour to all day.

On top of dance, Allie and Jennie Verhey balance two school sports and schoolwork. Some days, Jennie Verhey goes straight from two hours of soccer to two hours of dance.

“I do a lot of homework during school. I use my free period and tutorials wisely,” Jennie Verhey said.
Allie Verhey also finds ways to manage. “My friends would say I’m pretty good at time management. I usually have homework done the day it’s assigned,” she said.

The practices get more intense during the spring when competition season begins. The company does four or five competitions, which typically take place from Friday to Sunday.

“Normally they have solos on Fridays, then all the group dances on Saturdays and Sundays,” Allie Verhey said. “You’re basically committed for the whole weekend.”

This arrangement can make for some inconvenient schedules. “You’ll do one dance on Friday, and then you have eight dances [on Saturday], so you might have two dances to change in between two numbers, and then you have four hours before your next dance,” Jennie Verhey said.

After competing, the dancers wait for the judges’ scores, and then awards begin.

“You get placed, and then there’s bigger awards you can get,” Jennie Verhey said. “Everyone gets a ranking. The lowest is silver and it goes up to platinum or diamond, which are the best. Normally they don’t give out silvers because they feel bad.”

Despite the time commitment, Jennie and Allie Verhey enjoy competing.

“I think competitions are really fun,” Jennie Verhey said. “You stay at the competition center the whole weekend and hang out.”

The dances are all centered around different stories.

“Last year, one was about a 1920s city, so I was in a flapper dress,” Allie Verhey said. “This year, for our tap dance, we’re going to be secret agents, so we’re going to have suit coats and sunglasses and ear pieces. [The costumes] totally depend on the year.”

Jennie and Allie Verhey have both found a passion for dancing and look forward to continuing to pursue it.

“There’s so much to achieve [in dancing], but it is so hard to do, so it’s a challenge,” Allie Verhey said.