On December 5th, 2025, Woodford County held its annual Christmas Tree Lighting Ceremony right in the heart of Versailles. Various speeches were given, elementary school students sang, and the JSOD Competition Team performed a Rockette-style Christmas Kickline. 

     This is the third year in a row that JSOD has performed at the Christmas Tree Lighting, and they plan to continue this fabulous tradition in the future. As a dancer on Jane’s Competition Team, I look forward to this event every year because it is my favorite way to kick off the Christmas season and just enjoy performing for my community. I love making the people of Versailles happy and getting them in the Christmas spirit with my passion for dance, especially at this time of year. 

     As competition dancers, we take every opportunity to perform for our community because most of our time is spent performing in front of judges. Performing for fun in my community lets me enjoy dancing with a little less pressure. When preparing for community performances, we always have costumes picked out, make sure our timing is right in the dance, and use our facial expressions more than ever to ensure we perform our best.  

     I am also extremely grateful for how much Versailles citizens appreciate our passion for dance and do everything they can for us to perform at any given opportunity. I love how they express their joy when watching us dance, especially with kind compliments. Their support is essential and keeps us coming back every year to perform better and better. 

     Even though it is my last year on the JSOD Competition Team, I am enjoying every moment, especially the community performances, which I will forever miss the most. I am grateful for every performance opportunity I have had throughout my dance career, and I am confident that the Competition Team will continue to provide Versailles with wonderful, eye-catching performances for years to come.