Martha Graham once said, “Great dancers are not great because of their technique, they are great, because of their passion.” Deanna Crouchelli displayed this passion as she recently traveled to Shanghai, China to compete in the ‘International Folk Dance Festival.’ Deanna’s interest in dancing comes as no surprise, following in her mother’s footsteps; she started at the age of four.

Officials in China invited Deanna and her group to participate, along with fourteen other groups worldwide including groups from New Zealand, Sweden, Peru, Germany, Austria, Ireland, Hungary, and other parts of China. When asked about what made China so unique and different, Deanna explained, “The only similarity between Shanghai and Chicago are the skyscrapers. It was weird to see Chinese symbols everywhere instead of what we are used to… The Great Wall of China in Beijing was incredible; it was one of my favorite parts about my trip besides performing. Being at the highest point in the wall was amazing!”

The competition atmosphere was exciting for all the contending groups. The competition was five days, Deanna spent an additional three visiting different sites in Beijing. Deanna is used to performing in front of large audiences but once she was told that more people would watch this competition than watch the Super Bowl, nerves began to set in. In the end, despite being under a great deal of pressure in a foreign country, Deanna and her group did exceptionally well. Hard work, perseverance and family support all contributed to the success of the group.

Deanna Crouchelli is a very active junior, and can be seen in various sports and activities during her free time. Whenever she is not dancing, she likes to spend time with her family and friends. Traveling is one of her favorite things to do; she has been all over the country, to Poland and Hungary. Right now, she is interested in the medical field. Deanna says that she plans to continue dancing throughout high school. “I couldn’t imagine my life without being in my dance group at this point, the trip was a once in a lifetime opportunity!”