Addison Aylward-Vreeland can acknowledge now, playfully and pridefully, that her performance wasn’t quite graceful and it mostly was a series of random uncoordinated movements. In fact, she said, “I was just jumping around and having fun.”
But it was enough to catch the eye of her preschool teacher, who immediately saw potential.
“It was her enthusiasm,” Maile Pikul-Kleban said of the 3-year-old dancing in her classroom. “She looked at you with these bright eyes, full of excitement, and was totally engaged in it. Anything having to do with dance grabbed her attention.”
Coincidentally, the teacher also was a dance instructor and she suggested to Addison’s parents they sign her up for lessons.
“I was so nervous when I started, because I wasn’t used to it,” 9-year-old Addison said of learning the basics in a dance studio. “I wasn’t good early on, but I just did my best.”
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A few years and a whole lot of rug-cutting later and her best is among the best.
The Dover native took first place with her jazz solo performance in the Beyond The Stars national finals two weeks ago in Pennsylvania. Right behind Addison was her close friend Juliet Mollica, who finished second in that category.
“I thought I did well, and it was my best ever, but I wasn't expecting to win something like this in my first year of competing in solo,” Addison said. “They called my name, and I was like, 'Wow!' I was screaming and shouting. My mom (Larissa Vreeland) was so thrilled.”
In those years of formal training, she evolved from a giddy toddler to a high-level competitor who specializes in contemporary, hip hop and, of course, jazz. Her gold-medal routine featured several terpsichorean techniques including illusions, bow and arrows, ring kicks and pirouettes.
“It’s been incredible to watch and I'm beyond proud of her,” David Aylward said of his daughter. “I see how hard she works at this and she deserves to be successful.”
Addison performed a two-minute dance number to the Four Tops classic, “I Can’t Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)”. Understandably, she hadn’t heard the 1965 hit until about a year ago, when Pikul-Kleban introduced it as part of her choreography, but it quickly became her high-energy signature.
“The overwhelming feeling is pride,” Pikul-Kleban said. “I’m so happy for those girls because they work incredibly hard. You can tell how much they love this sport, and that makes a difference on stage.”
Juliet, a Salt Point native, also dazzled in the tournament at Kalahari Resorts & Conventions in the Poconos. She and Addison were effusive in praising each other and it wasn’t lost on them how remarkable it was for two local kids to do that well in a national tournament.
Juliet has been competing for two years and already has racked up several trophies, Gina Mollica said of her 9-year-old daughter. But silver here was unexpected.
“It was really fun,” said Juliet, who also won a showmanship award at the July 9 competition. “I thought that I did well, but I was very surprised to get second.”
She and Addison have trained for years at Cherilyn’s School of Dance in Pleasant Valley, and they are among a cadre of young pupils who have excelled since last winter, qualifying for national tournaments and more.
“I’m overjoyed and so proud of them,” said Cherilyn Raab, who operates the studio and coaches. “They’re obviously talented, but they’re also eager to learn and they’ve put so much effort. You like seeing that rewarded.”
Addison has two professional dancers in her family, including a Rockette on her mom’s side, “so dancing might be in her blood,” David Aylward said with a chuckle.
Her confidence soared after winning her first solo competition in February, and she has been among the top finishers and earned a trophy in five of six tournaments this year. Addison said her goal eventually is to dance collegiately and “go as far as I can with it.”
Her next stop is New Jersey to compete in the World Dance Championships, beginning Wednesday at the Meadowlands Exposition Center. That tournament will include dancers from as far as China and Australia.
Addison will be joined there by several of her teammates, including Juliet, as they’re both part of the Hip Hop, Contemporary and Jazz ensembles that will be representing Cherilyn’s School of Dance. “Inclusivity and teamwork are things we emphasize, so it’s awesome to have them succeed individually and in groups,” said Raab, whose studio also is sending Team Lyrical and Junior Jazz units.
“I went last year, so I'm not nervous,” Addison said of Worlds. “My big goal is to place this year with my teammates, and I think we’re confident.”
Stephen Haynes: shaynes@poughkeepsiejournal.com;845-437-4826;Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
This article originally appeared on Poughkeepsie Journal: Dance: Dover's Addison Aylward-Vreeland dances to national title
