ProActive member Steffany Lien twirls her way to world-wide success
Like her batons, 11-year-old Steffany Lien is always in motion. The charismatic and personable young athlete and Madonna ProActive member has a variety of interests that keep her busy. She dances, plays the clarinet, enjoys math and science and loves animals. But it's her passion for baton twirling and performing that earned the fifth grader from Rousseau Elementary School a world-class champion title for "Two Baton" at the World Championships of Baton Twirling in Ghent, Belgium, in mid-April.
In Belgium, Steffany competed in the Juvenile division where she also earned second place in her division for the X-strut competition, which involves a great deal of dance and incorporates the baton as a prop in the performance. Add to her international accomplishments the "Three Baton" national champion title, which she will defend in July at the National Baton Twirling Association's annual competition on the Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana.
Her love for the sport began at a young age. "I attended a few different kinds of camps when I was about 4-years-old. I enjoyed them all, but I loved baton from the very beginning," Steffany said.
"Steffany's always been self-driven when it came to putting in the practice time and effort to perfect her routines. I can remember hearing the continuous 'thunk-thunk' of the baton hitting the ceiling when she was first learning," recalled Susan. "But she's come a long way from those days!"
From time to time, sacrifices, like skipping a sleepover with friends in order to prepare for a competition, have been made, but Steffany readily admits her favorite part of performing is showing the judges what she's been working on. She understands that a good night's rest, balanced diet and athletic endurance all play a role in helping her deliver peak performances. She practices nearly every day depending on homework load and without prompting will request healthy food options before competitions.
Steffany practices at Madonna ProActive where she has access to a high enough ceiling to perform her routines while refining her grace and dance moves with ProActive Chase Dance Team instructor Erynn Nicholson. Practices usually last an hour or two and always begin with stretching and warm-up exercises, then progress to performing a routine multiple times and evaluating them as she goes. "In addition to Erynn, Steffany had full support from the entire Chase Dance Team. It was the collective group who gave her feedback, instruction and technical assistance at one time or another. And the members at ProActive were great! They have no idea what their encouragement and and support make to a little girl," added Susan.
When she first started the sport, the hardest part of twirling, according to Steffany, was learning new tricks, but she kept practicing and soon she mastered them one at a time. Most recently, she's consistently been able to toss her baton then complete six spins on one toe before catching her baton. Steffany said she's managed up to seven spins before, but she hasn't quite perfected it. Give her some time, and it's more than likely the motivated young competitor will. She's not one to stay idle for very long.
About ProActive's Chase Dance Program
Madonna ProActive Dance offers a variety of dance forms for ages 3 through adult, including classes for beginners and professionals. Classes include Ballet, Pointe, Jazz, Lyrical, Tap, Hip Hop, Creative Movement, Boys Break/Hip Hop, Boys Tap, Yoga and Pilates. Bob and Stephanie Chase, along with their expert staff lead the way in the dance classes. You also enjoy special guests from around the country to inspire all levels of dance throughout the year!
Contact Bob or Stephanie Chase at 420-0000 for more information or to sign up for a class. Class sessions begin at different times but all are welcome to join at any time.
Congratulations to Teen Troupe and Junior Troupe 2008-2009
Teen Troupe Members are Marisa Marsh, Hannah Terrell, Molly Meister, Beth Loos, Emma McKillip ,and Allie Thompson.
Junior Teens are Lexie Boling, Olivia Reid, Sophia Longoria, Sadie Schernikau, Peyton Carney
