Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
Serving Gogebic, Iron and Ontonagon Counties
CHEYENNE O'BRIEN and Dani Begalle will be performing during half-time at the Capital One Bowl in Orlando on New Year's Day. O'Brien won a competition in Minnesota to compete, and Begalle auditioned by video. Both girls have won numerous dance competitions.
IRONWOOD - Two local competitive dancers are traveling to Orlando to dance at half-time as part of 300 performers doing a jazz pom routine for the Capital One Bowl on New Year's Day.
Cheyanne O'Brien, a 2013 Gogebic Community College graduate from Wakefield, won the honor in March in an individual competition in Duluth, Minn., at "Spring Fling."
Dani Begalle, a senior at Luther L. Wright High School, won the honor by submitting a video audition.
O'Brien has studied dance for 16 years, and Begalle for 13 years. Both have studied ballet, lyrical, pointe and jazz, and each has won numerous awards in individual and team dance competitions, Begalle said.
"Younger girls don't realize the work it takes," to prepare for a competition, O'Brien said.
"Before a competition, we're at the studio for hours every day, including weekends," Begalle said.
The girls, who teach and study at the Ironwood Dance Company, recently received their costumes, which are American flag themed, Begalle said. Event organizers have given performers clues about what song they will perform their routine to, but have not yet announced it.
The game between teams from the Big Ten and Southeastern Conference will be broadcast on ESPN.
Their trip to Orlando will last 10 days, O'Brien said, beginning on Christmas Eve.
"It's a big honor to be chosen," O'Brien said, "Especially coming from a small town and a small dance company."
