I wish I could bottle moments—the ones that remind you that what you’re doing matters. The ones that prove everything you’ve been teaching, repeating, coaching, nudging, correcting, and championing is taking root in the hearts of your students. This weekend was absolutely one of those moments for me.
Our UpLevel Group was invited to perform at a local festival—nothing out of the ordinary for them. They had rehearsed, they were prepared, and we were excited to take the “stage”. What we didn’t know was that life had a test waiting for us.
Right as the music started—boom—the main speaker cut out. Silence. Okay, no worries. Things happen. As I look over at Miss Brianna she gave the dancers the look of-the show must go on. Miss Kaitlyn ran and grabbed the backup speaker. They hit play again—poof—that one died too. Two speakers. Gone. Hundreds of people in the audience. No music. A 15-minute performance ahead of us and I knew in that moment we were being tested.
But do you know what happened next?
Nothing. No panic. No freezing. No “what do we do?”gestures. Just head nods when we told them- just keep going. Going they did!
Our dancers—ages five through eighteen—took a breath, lifted their chins, and without skipping a beat, kept performing together. In absolute silence. And they didn’t just get through it—they owned it. Before they started in our rally, I told them “Today you SHOW OUT- not Show OFF (that’s not what we do)- STAND OUT in a way that makes you proud of who you are.” And they DID.
You could hear the stomps of their feet hitting the grass in perfect rhythm. You could hear their poms shaking keeping a perfect count of 5,6,7,8. You could see the fire in their eyes. The cheers from the crowd picked up in time with the choreography. Their teammates on the side shouted counts and encouragement. It became electric!!!
And that moment—that right there—is why we do what we do. I was proud of the dancers and I was SUPER proud of the team who trains them.
Anyone can perform when conditions are perfect. But Champions? Champions rise when everything falls apart.
These kids didn’t flinch.
They didn’t falter.
They didn’t second guess.
They showed up.
Not because of luck.
Not because they “winged it.”
But because inside our classrooms, they’re learning far more than dance.
They’re learning discipline—the kind you practice at home when no one is watching.
They’re learning commitment—showing up prepared isn’t optional; it’s who we are.
They’re learning grit—the ability to adapt, pivot, and overcome in real-time.
But the part that got me the most? Leadership showed up in every corner.
One of our youngest team members Jacqueline—still in our assistant program—took off running across the entire festival in search of a solution. She networked with a local business owner, borrowed equipment, and came sprinting back just in time for the second performance—with music. No one asked her to do it. She saw a need and she moved. That’s leadership.
After the performance, strangers came over with tears in their eyes—not because of a flawless routine, but because of what they witnessed: bravery, teamwork, professionalism, and heart.
That’s Level Up. It’s not a name- it is an action. When we get a choice, we LEVEL UP.
This wasn’t just a performance.
This was proof.
When we say we’re building Champions on the Stage of Life—this is what it looks like. When the car tire gets a flat. When the plan falls apart. When comfort disappears. When life gets hard, because at times it will. Champions don’t wait for things to get easier—they rise. They rise TOGETHER.
And I couldn’t be prouder.
— XOXO
Miss Jennifer
