WAKONDA — When she started dancing as a toddler, Rebekah Sharples-Schmidt dreamed of performing on the big stage. Now, the 17-year-old Wakonda native is taking her talents to New York City next week to attend the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet School. On weekends, she will prepare for a world competition in Europe set for fall.
And she doesn’t officially graduate from Irene-Wakonda High School until December, when she finishes online courses. Before departing for NYC, Sharples-Schmidt spoke with the Press & Dakotan this week about her meteoric rise at a young age and the bright lights that await her in the coming months. “I started dance classes when I was 3 years old, learning from Dorota Dannenbring at the Academy of Dance in Yankton,” she said.
“I started competing when I was 7 years old, and I knew I wanted dance as my career when I was 12 or 13.” She studied all genres of dance: ballet, character, lyrical, jazz, musical theater, tap, contemporary, acro, pointe and more. After studying under Dannenbring for 10 years, she attended the Heartland Conservatory of Dance in Omaha for two years and the Dance Gallery in Sioux Falls for the past three years.
She has been a member of several youth dance companies: Heartland Youth Ballet in Omaha; Dance Gallery Youth Ballet in Sioux Falls; and LiRa Dance Theater Company in Sioux Falls. “I wanted to be a professional dancer, and now I’m focusing on ballet,” she explained. She will complete two major strides toward that goal in the coming days.
After a highly competitive application process, she has been accepted to the Joffrey Ballet School and will pursue a Bachelor of Fine Arts (BFA) degree in dance. “I would like to be a ballerina, but it’s good to receive diverse training in ballet, hip hop, tap and other specialized dance,” she said. THE WORLD STAGE In addition, she won a spot on Team USA that will compete this November at the International Dance Organization’s (IDO) annual World Championships.
This year’s competition, held in Kielce, Poland, will attract competitors from around the globe. “This is like the Olympics of dance,” she explained, competing as the only South Dakota entrant. The IDO is a non-profit World Dance and Dancesport Federation consisting of more than 90 member nations, representing more than 500,000 dancers from six continents.
The U.S. Federation of Dance coordinates the organization of Team USA.
Team members are selected through auditions, and dancers must receive an invitation to audition. Sharples-Schmidt was invited last June to apply for Team USA. The audition was held in Atlantic City, New Jersey, the following month.
At the audition, 85 dancers were selected from among hundreds of aspiring entrants across the United States. Sharples-Schmidt was selected to compete on two teams: Senior Lyrical and Senior Contemporary. She will be learning group lyrical and contemporary pieces with other selected participants and then performing them at the World Championships as Team USA.
She may also be selected to represent the USA in the solo competition. Team USA will rehearse for several weekends in New Jersey between now and late November, when the world competition will be held in Poland. As she ascends to the next level, Sharples-Schmidt credits the firm foundation she received from Dannenbring and the Academy of Dance.
“Dorota taught me about using my body as an instrument,” she explained, crediting the instructors with instilling both character movements and routines. The effort not only uplifted the individual dancers but created a strong team, she added, impacting the dancers and audience members. Seeking to describe the feeling, Sharples-Schmidt said dancing provides her with a spiritual element.
She finds great relaxation and inner peace when expressing herself and sharing her talent. “When I’m dancing, I’m in my happy place,” she said. As the next step, Sharples-Schmidt studied at Omaha and Sioux Falls, cities much larger than her Clay County hometown of about 350 residents.
She found herself immersed in a much more competitive environment, performing alongside older students. “I became anxious,” she admitted, but acknowledged it made her grow as a person and performer. In the process, she developed important connections.
HEADING TO NYC The experience prepared her well for the next step: applying for the Joffrey School of Ballet and taking a bite of the Big Apple. “It’s extremely competitive to get into the Joffrey. I went there for four weeks this summer to get evaluated,” she said, referring to what the website calls the “summer intensive” auditions.
Sharples-Schmidt made the cut and was offered a spot in the incoming class. Without hesitation, she quickly accepted. “I’ll be ‘dormed’ with a roommate,” she said.
“I have some familiarity with New York City after spending time there this summer. It was an adjustment, as the city is always moving. People are caught up in their own thoughts, like a zone.
” In describing the auditions, Sharples-Schmidt agreed that the movies “Fame” and “A Chorus Line” provide an accurate picture. “It really is the cattle call, with maybe 100 dancers on stage,” she said. “(The directors) are culling out the group.
” Auditions are intense, and directors often make instant decisions on who stays or gets cut. “Sometimes, it comes down to where the dancer doesn’t fit the desired height or look,” she said, with the applicant dismissed before performing. Sharples-Schmidt, who stands 5-foot-3 and weighs 130 pounds, said performers can’t take it personally.
They may just not fit a particular role. As a result, artists must handle rejection well, she added. Even if they are selected for a role, they must remain on top of their game.
Dancing requires not only physical but also mental stamina, she said. “If I think of something else for even a moment, like what I’m having for lunch, I miss a step or two,” she said, with the entire troupe thrown off balance. GLOBAL SPOTLIGHT For the next three months, Sharples-Schmidt will dance nearly all her waking hours.
She expects to study at the Joffrey from 9 a.m. to 9 p.
m. weekdays and then the Team USA rehearsals on the weekends. Just making Team USA was an intense experience, Sharples-Schmidt said.
Auditions were held across the nation, with her rounds of competition held in Atlantic City. “We auditioned at an event center where they usually hold beauty pageants, such as Miss USA. They gave us a number to perform,” she said.
“My heart was just pounding, but I made the final cut and was called back.” Sharples-Schmidt’s training will come in handy, as she must quickly learn new choreography with new people who must immediately mesh as a unit. The entourage, which includes both men and women, will have the opportunity for rehearsals at the Polish site before the competition.
In a fortunate coincidence, the trip falls over the Thanksgiving Day period, which means she won’t miss much for classes and other commitments. Sharples-Schmidt sees the world championships as a huge opportunity to make her mark on stage. “You need to take advantage of as many opportunities as you can to get your name out there and make connections,” she said.
“It’s nerve racking, but it’s good for your resume to have such experiences and global activities. It gets you more exposure, and you learn so much about other people and their cultures.” The young woman hasn’t lived the typical South Dakota teenage life.
She has been home-schooled, and her dance schedule has kept her from participating in many school activities. However, she sees her life headed on the right path and has found herself motivated to work even harder. “I’m 17 and will be away from home.
There will be sacrifices, but I’m doing something I love,” she said. “I am excited to perform. I will see different things that I haven’t seen before.
I really hope to learn a lot from the experience and connect more with others.” Regardless of the world contest results in Poland, Sharples-Schmidt sees it as a win-win adventure. “I expect I will enjoy it,” she said.
“I don’t know if I will get this opportunity again.” ——— Families of dancers chosen for Team USA must pay travel and rehearsal costs, so Sharples-Schmidt is asking for area businesses, organizations and individuals to consider donating to help cover travel costs. Any donations may be made out and mailed to: Rebekah Sharples-Schmidt (Team USA), PO Box 355, Wakonda SD 57073.
A GoFundMe page has also been started for those who wish to donate online: https://gofund.me/4d4b368a Follow @RDockendorf on “X.”.
