Fireworks by Charlotte Holden
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Addison Aylward-Vreeland couldn't contain her reaction as the judges named her the first place dancer.
Provided by Larissa Vreeland
Her routine, “Sugar Pie, Honey Bunch,” was her first solo performance at the national competition level since she began dancing at age three. It took her and her coach, Maile Pikul of Cherilyn’s School of Dance in Pleasant Valley, New York, nearly seven months of diligent work to perfect.
“Solos have to be two minutes or less,” said Aylward-Vreeland, who is already working on her solo routine for the 2025 season, “but I have so many ideas I can’t fit them all in.”
Those ideas range from song choices to costumes and choreography — all selected to be perfectly complementary and to express the sounds, rhythms, and syncopations of jazz music. It’s a tall order made by an exacting discipline, but Aylward-Vreeland does it all while staying “cool as a cucumber.”
“She’s so excited to try new things,” said the dancer’s mother, Larissa Vreeland, “and every year she challenges herself a bit more.”
Aylward-Vreeland isn’t content only to take home the biggest prizes in her preferred jazz style, but also practices tap, hip-hop, ballet, and large group dance at her team’s studio in Pleasant Valley. Her teammates, “the Pearls,” are a tightly-knit group that Aylward-Vreeland has been performing with at the competition level since 2021.
Addison Aylward-Vreeland with her trophy from the national Beyond The Stars Dance Competition and her mom, Larissa Vreeland.Sava Marinkovic
Asked to name her dance heroes, Aylward-Vreeland answered, “my friends Lorelei and K.K. They do cool moves and they teach them to me.”
On Tuesday, July 9, at the Kalahari Convention Center in Pocono Manor, Pennsylvania, it came time for Aylward-Vreeland to show off those cool moves on Beyond the Stars’ national stage.
Three judges, a live audience of five hundred, and numerous far-flung livestream viewers had eyes on Aylward-Vreeland as she took the stage, tracked by spotlights so bright that she was “blinded” to the crowd of onlookers. None of it was enough to faze, however.
“I asked her to let me hold her butterflies,” said Vreeland, to which her daughter replied, “I don’t have any!”
It was meant to be the capstone performance of a meticulously-crafted routine that had already won Aylward-Vreeland a regional title and first place in four of five seasonal competitions — and the young dancer delivered.
“I wasn’t expecting it,” said Aylward-Vreeland, recalling how she waited on stage as the judges ranked the performances in ascending order. But as more placements were called without Aylward-Vreeland hearing her name, she began to get excited. “I started to see it coming,” she said, beaming from behind her array of trophies, “it felt really good to win.”
Following the solo competition, “the local support has been overwhelming,” said Larissa Vreeland, citing Addison’s incredible teammates, coaches, and supporters as reasons for her success.
For her upcoming endeavor, Aylward-Vreeland will have this support a bit closer at hand. Her team will be competing together in hip-hop, large group, and jazz dance at the World Dance Championship in Secaucus, New Jersey on July 24, 28 and 29. For the fans who wish to follow the Pearls’ next steps, twists and jumps, a livestream of the event will be available at www.worlddancechampionship.com/live-stream.
Riley Moriarty
Provided
While a thru hike often begins as a solitary pursuit, hikers weave into one another’s lives on the journey. Hikers Liam Hickes, James Outlaw, Jackson O’Brasky, and Riley Moriarty – Hero, Outlaw, Rabbi, and White Claw as they are known on the trail – were strangers back in March but have now traveled together for months.
Great Falls, Falls Village.Provided
Before the trail, Moriarty – originally from Columbia, South Carolina – worked as a carpenter and lived in a yurt in Asheville, North Carolina. He went on a weekend long camping trip with friends and dreamed of a longer excursion in the woods.
Outlaw too craved adventure. Growing up in Atlanta, Georgia, he had hiked sections of the AT with his dad and always wanted to do the full trek. While working at a food truck in Boone, North Carolina, he decided to commit to the challenge.
Hickes is also from Atlanta and had no idea the AT started in Georgia until reading author Andy M. Davidson’s book “When Sunday Smiled.” Inspired by the story of a retired Navy officer, he began to plan his own journey. Following service in the Marine Corps, he got on the trail as early as possible, hoping to be surrounded by fellow hikers.
O’Brasky spent much of his life among crowds in the cities of Hartford and New York City and sought the wilderness as an escape. A painter by trade, he applied for the Elizabeth Greenshields Grant with a proposal to hike the AT. After losing his job, O’Brasky received the grant and embarked on this six-month quest.
Liam Hickes.Provided
Life on the trail can be monotonous. “People romanticize thru hiking, but it’s important to remember that it’s just walking,” said Outlaw. A night of burgers, beer, and civilization is sure to lift spirits and remedy the backcountry blues.
But mostly the hikers enjoy settling into the steady rhythm of a slower, quieter existence: taking siestas on hot days, letting thoughts wander, and gradually moving forward. “I get bored very easily, and I really have not been bored often out here,” said O’Brasky.
Throughout the journey, these individuals have confronted wildlife, weather, and rugged terrain: praying not to flip while rafting down the Shenandoah River, laughing in delirium through a North Carolina snowstorm, befriending wild ponies, and soaking up stories of strange characters they meet.
Jackson O'BraskyProvided
When the trail tests their resilience, they manage to sustain a gentle hum of optimism. A moment of sunshine can erase all recollection of the storm that soaked their belongings.
With everything they need in their packs – tents, sleeping bags, three days’ worth of food – they are not tied to societal expectations or any physical place. Each roams freely and independently, deciding when to push and when to rest, but they camp together almost every night. Comradery makes the undertaking less daunting and memories more meaningful. “Being around others who want the same thing I want enhances everything,” said Hickes.
James Outlaw.Provided
Chipping away at this objective bestows a rewarding sense of accomplishment. “It’s always a big deal,” said Moriarty, “30 miles was a big deal. 100 miles was a big deal. I was really impressed with myself. Now it’s 1500, but it’s the same kind of feeling.”
As they approach Katahdin, minds wander to life post-trail. Hickes plans to start school in Louisiana with friends, while O’Brasky is unsure whether he will stay in New York City. Moriarty is considering joining the Coast Guard (though first he must figure out exactly what they do) and Outlaw is looking forward to a potential move to Colorado.
While they will put down their packs — at least temporarily — these men will carry willingness to be uncomfortable and determination to persevere wherever they go.
