Freshman takes off in dance career; Wowing the crowd

     Twist, spin, arabesque, freshman Riley Herold takes off in her dance career. She has been dancing since she was just three years old.  

     Herold started her dance education at the Royal Performing Arts Center which is in Dundalk Maryland, and she still dances there today.  

     Herold explains she has learned all the dance styles over the years which include jazz, contemporary, and musical theatre but she has always loved doing tap the most.  

     Herold could not decide between recitals and competition, so she decided to just do both. She says she has been doing recitals since she was three, and competitions since she was around the age of eight or nine. 

     “I was put into dance at such an early age, so it is not really something I have always wanted to do because I have always done it since I can remember,” Herold says. She believes it is fun and entertaining and loves having dance friends separate from school friends.  

     Herold says she did a competition dance before COVID hit but then had to stop. She also just performed in a recital in June. Right now, her main goal is to get back to where she was since she fell behind when the pandemic hit, and she could not dance.  

     Herold is proud to say that she has won first place for her tap solo twice in competitions. She also says her trio won first at every single competition they competed in.  

     Herold says her team competes at nationals and their group dance has even won first place multiple times. “Nationals competition is a big deal in the dance community because there is a lot of competition and people bring their A game,” Herold says.  

     “My first solo will always be the most special to me,” the dancer says. She explains it was a tap solo by her dance instructor she looked up to a lot, Mrs. Amber.  

     Herold explains the solo was titled Bugle Boy. “It was special to me because it was my very first time going out on stage by myself,” she states.  

     Herold explains how she was very shy growing up so going on that stage all by herself with everybody watching and having to perform was very scary. “Once I was on that stage, I was fine and loved it,” she states.  

     “This solo made me love tap and pushed me out of my comfort zone which has helped me as a dancer,” Herold says.  

     Herold says she is so grateful for what dance has done for her inside as well as outside the dance world. It has made her less shy and more confident and she would not give it up for the world.