As the school year comes to an end, De Soto High School sophomore Addie Warnes has big plans for the summer. 

Warnes has been dancing since she was only 3 years old and began dancing competitively at 11 years old for her dance studio Dance Expressions.

“My mom put me in it [dance] since she did it as a kid and I continued as I got older because I loved it and it made me more confident,” Warnes said.

As the love of the sport grew for Warnes, she is now aiming towards making the nationals team for her dance studio to compete as a soloist and in a group dance.

“I have classes like regular until nationals and then I have boot camp to prepare for the auditions,” Warnes said. “This summer we are going to compete in Dallas, Texas, for Nationals in July.”

The opportunity to compete in nationals is a rigorous couple weeks of rehearsals with a limited am

ount of time of preparing for nationals and at the same time trying to achieve the best score possible out of 100 when competing in Texas.

“Our boot camp is like a few hours a day for about one to two weeks,” Warnes said.

Although Warnes will soon be dancing continuously during the summer, she is setting the bar high for herself.

“I want to work hard over the next few months and do well at nationals,” Warnes said.

With aims to to work hard on her group dance, Warnes is wanting to put in the same amount of effort for her solo.

As the dance season begins to get fiercely more competitive before nationals, Warnes has big goals for herself over the next couple months. 

“My biggest goal for my solo is to perform to the best of my abilities and feel good about it,” Warnes said. “For my group dances, I really want to have a dance place and do well at competition.”

Even with pressure, Warnes wants this to be an impactful experience for not only herself, but for her team as well.

“I want everyone to feel confident in the performance and feel good about it. Most of all, I want to enjoy the experience and gain memories,” Warnes said.

Despite doubts, Warnes is planning to stay positive and work her hardest before and during Nationals.