He almost didn’t try out for the team his first year but a word of encouragement from a coach was the nudge he needed and although he was battling severe stage fright, as long as he took the stage with his team he’d be OK. He competed two hip hop routines that year. Then his second year he was placed in two hip hop routines, one jazz routine and one contemporary routine and was offered his first solo. He was equal parts excited and scared. After four team competitions, three extra conventions of classes, and placing in the top ten for his solo I’d say his growth this year is best measured in leaps.

Our first team competition of the season was Artists Simply Human (ASH). This was the one and only time the whole team competed which meant Oliver competed side by side with Penny and Lucas. His second year attending, his first year competing, and his second time receiving a scholarship.

Monsters is an all hip-hop convention. Our team has attended in the past but this year it conflicted with a team event for Lucas and Penny’s team which meant hardly anyone from our studio would be attending. That didn’t stop Oliver. Knowing he might not know anyone else in the class, that he’d be dancing with kids older and more experienced, he gave it his all, learned a lot and was recognized with a scholarship. Groove was our second team competition. This event is competition only with no classes as are the remaining for the season. Our studio had a great event with three of Oliver’s routines placing well with Waves receiving the Standout Award and 1st in Category and 1st Place Overall, Every Time the Beat Drops placing 1st in category and 1st place overall, Pure Water placing 1st in category and 2nd place overall and we received the Studio Award: Overall Choreography Award Winner.
Oliver attended DanceMakers as an optional event to take classes and learn. It was his first year in the senior room which was intimidating but so special with having Lucas as Collective assisting in many of the classes. At Reverb we received the Studio Award ADCC Studio of Excellence, Oliver’s routine Waves placed 1st in the category and 1st place overall, Exs and Ohs placed 1st in the category and 4th place overall, Pure Water placed 1st in the category and 8th place overall, Everytime the Beat Drops placed 1st in the category and 2nd place overall, and Oliver’s solo ili placed in the top ten with 10th place overall!

Oliver’s first time attending Hollywood Vibe as an optional event, he made an impression receiving the LA Agency Finalist scholarship! Oliver and his team finished out the season strong with great performances at Beyond the Stars. His solo placed 9th Overall, Ex’s and Oh’s received the “Clean and Clear” Judges Choice award and Waves received the Rising Star Award, the highest scoring routine in it’s age group, 1st overall Junior Intermediate Large Group and 1st in category.
Two years is a lot of time when you’re going from twelve to fourteen. He grew in height, he grew in maturity, and he grew as a dancer. And he allowed his love for dance to be more powerful than his anxiety and fear. I know there will be and peaks and valleys and spurts and stalls, I know he will waiver between confidence and self-doubt, he will balance pressures and anxieties, and I know he will discover things about himself, he will prove things to himself and he will find himself again and again.  And when he has moments of doubt, I hope he remembers that he was voted by his teammates as Most Inspiring for the 2024-2025 season (just like his big brother).