Area dance team to travel to Germany

After competing in the Team USA Finals in Rhode Island, six dancers from California Dance Company will be heading to Germany to compete some of the World's best dancers.

Alyssa Banwarth, 12, Taylor Cox, 15, Savannah Harris, 15, Megan Beeson, 16, Rachel Morgan, 17, and Brianna Grandell, 20, dance five days a week at the studio and many days stay until after nine at night.

According to Beeson, dancing is like a job to them because they "rehearse a lot and it takes dedication because you go up against a lot of dancers," many from larger cities.

"(We are) really driven and dedicated," said Grandell. "We want to make (dancing) our life."

Banwarth went to Germany last year to compete in the International Dance Organization (IDO) World Show Dance Championship and placed fifth, now she will have the chance to go back.

"I'm excited," said Banwarth, who added in response to what she is most looking forward to this time around, "Having all my teammates with me."

All of the girls agreed that the experience was what they were most excited about.

According to Grandell, it is about $2,500 per dancer to go to Germany, so they are doing fundraisers to help them come up with the money they need. They are also looking for sponsors or donations.

The girls, who beat out hundreds of dancers to go to Germany, will be at the Sun Dial Music Festival, Saturday and Sunday, Sept. 11 and 12, selling lemonade and cotton candy.

Then they will be performing at Shasta Raceway Park on Saturday, Sept. 25. They are also raffling off four tickets to a San Francisco Giants game on Saturday, Sept. 18. To enter the raffle just come to one of the fundraisers or call the California Dance Company at 365-7749.

The girls will head back to Riesa, Germany on Nov. 19 and stay until the 27th. The competition begins the 22nd.