GBHS Students Named All-State Dancers

Participating in the Maryland High School Dance Showcase was a nerve-wracking experience for students Lindsey Blick and Erika Goodfellow because the school’s group of seven was the smallest of the entrants, some of whom sent groups of 20.

But when the music came on, what Goodfellow calls “the magic of the stage” took over, and they forgot about everything else as they danced. Goodfellow and other students even performed “The Call,” a piece Blick choreographed.

And for their efforts in the competition, held at Goucher College Jan. 9, the girls were among 10 county students to receive all-state recognition, which both said surprised them. A panel of college-level dance instructors judged the students on technique, musicality, performance, professionalism and likelihood of a future in dance.

“I was very shocked both of us got it,” said Blick, a junior. “It was cool for our school too.”

Getting to the showcase comes after years of work. For Goodfellow, a senior, the work began when she started her first dance class at 4 years old. Her stepfather asked her if she wanted to take a dance class, and she said she did. And she’s been dancing—and now, teaching—at the Susan Ina Dance Studio ever since.

“You have to discipline yourself. You have to love it, or you’re just wasting your time,” she said.

Blick took a slightly different path. A self-described tomboy, she participated in sports as a child and then started dancing at 8 years old. In December, she danced the role of Clara in the Nutcracker ballet, and she won the Discount Dance Supply model search through the Youth America Grand Prix.

Both girls spend hours each week after school dancing, and have studied with teacher Dianne Rosso throughout their years at Glen Burnie High.

“When you’re in the middle of a dance, you get that feeling inside. You can’t even explain it,” Blick said. “It’s something I could do for hours. It never gets old.”

Goodfellow agreed.

“It’s how I express myself. I don’t know how to do anything else,” she said.

For Rosso, now in her 39th year of teaching, the girls’ success is the latest validation of her work. Glen Burnie has had several other students receive all-state recognition and is one of the few schools to have students participate in the showcase for all of its 20 years, she said.

“It’s always an inspiration for all the students behind them coming up in the program, and it’s a great honor for the two girls since so few are selected statewide,” Rosso said. “Plus, it also brings positive feedback to the community regarding our dance program here at Glen Burnie High School.”

Both Blick and Goodfellow want to pursue careers in dance. Blick said she likes contemporary dance best and would try to join a contemporary company. Goodfellow said she hopes to major in dance at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County and would like to dance on Broadway.