Kokomo fourth grader wins first place in junior solo dance competition at Indiana State Fair

James Bennett, Kokomo Tribune, Ind.
·2 min read

Aug. 31—Kokomo fourth grader Cora Munsey had been practicing her jazz dance routine for about a year when she won the junior dance competition at the Howard County Fair.

Cora said she had been a bit nervous moving forward to the state fair competition. But her confidence rose as she stepped on stage. By the end of the competition, she had won first place in the junior solo dance division and second place overall in the junior dance competition.

The young performer said she usually feels confident when she exits the stage, and would have still been proud of her work if she hadn't won the competition.

"I just really like dancing because it's really fun," Cora said. She later added "Whenever I get on stage and the music starts, I'm pretty usually confident in myself and I get really excited."

The jazz dance routine, with all of its movement, seemed fitting for the 10-year-old who is known for breaking out into dance at any moment. Cora's teachers at Legacy Dance Academy picked the dance style to match her personality.

"It has a lot of savviness to it, and it's fun and outgoing," Cora's mother, Heather Munsey said. "Cora is the type of dancer that it wouldn't matter where you're at, at a festival, at a fair, wherever. If she hears music, it wouldn't bother her just to go start dancing anywhere at any time."

A jazz routine, compared to other styles of dances like ballet, lets Cora break out into dance whenever she wants, Munsey explained.

Cora has been dancing since she was young, about 4-years-old, Munsey said. She's been competing for about a year.

"It's still pretty challenging because they push you harder every year," Cora said. "So it doesn't really get any easier. But it gets a tiny bit easier."

One of the biggest challenges, her mother added, is the age difference Cora faces in the junior division. She could be going up against children two years older than her.

To celebrate her victory, Cora's family went to her favorite restaurant, PASTArrific.

"She always has a good chance at winning, but you just never really know what they're looking for," Munsey said. "She loves dancing so much that I'm always confident that whatever she does, it's her best."

James Bennett III can be reached at 765-454-8580 or james.bennett@kokomotribune.com.