On Saturday, April 5, from the early morning hours until the late evening, Alyssa Lovell and Sophia Bulava spent their entire day at what would become one of the most powerful and emotional competitions of their dance careers. This wasn’t just another weekend in the whirlwind of dance season, it was the culmination of months of work, years of growth, and a lifetime of memories. The energy backstage was filled with nerves and excitement. Costumes shimmered under the dressing room and stage lights, and hairspray filled the air, but for Alyssa and Sophia, this day was about so much more than costumes and applause. It was the outcome of months of hard work, growth, and pushing through every challenge that came their way.

Alyssa’s solo, titled “Oceans,” was more than just choreography and counts. It was a tribute and a story of healing. Dedicating this performance to her Aunt Jill, who had passed away from cancer in 2016, gave every step deeper meaning. Her aunt had always been her biggest cheerleader, the one who made her laugh, picked her up from dance, and reminded her that she was unstoppable. That Saturday night, with the stage lights warm on her skin and her music filling the theater, Alyssa danced not just for the judges or the audience but for her aunt, for her family, and for herself, bringing everyone to tears.

Each week, the girls went back into the studio, tweaking counts, adjusting transitions, refining emotion, and getting teacher feedback. Amanda Dumnich and Tammy Kosko, whose belief in both girls never wavered. Together, they made the piece not only technically strong but emotionally powerful. By the time April 5th arrived, Alyssa had already competed “Oceans” three times, receiving the highest adjudication possible—a Diamond each time. Sophia also competed in two solos titled “Rosie’s Turn” and “This Time,” making the weekend even more meaningful. That alone was a dream come true, but this weekend came with even higher stakes; it was also the event where they competed for the Senior Scholarship Award.

To even be considered, Alyssa and Sophia had to write and submit a deeply personal essay weeks before the event. It wasn’t easy. It meant confronting the hardest moments of their journey and turning them into something beautiful and powerful. Alyssa wrote about her shoulder injury and the months she danced with her arm in a sling. Sophia wrote about the pressure of being a role model to younger dancers and, most of all, what dance had truly meant to the both of them. Every word in that essay carried weight.

Sophia was by Alyssa’s side through it all. The two of them had grown up dancing together, their bond formed in the hallways of The Dance Alley. Their friendship grew through shared wins, shared tears, and countless hours side by side at the studio. This year, their group jazz dance, “Last Dance,” was choreographed as a reflection of their friendship, a final farewell to the competitive dance world, and a tribute to the journey they’ve walked together. “Last Dance” was more than choreography; it represented memories, inside jokes, and years of partnership wrapped into three minutes on stage. Every movement told its story. The struggles they overcame, the laughs in the dressing room, the late nights at the studio, and the quiet understanding that this would be their last time dancing together in this way.

Then, the scholarship results were announced. When it came time for awards that Saturday night, Sophia Bulava was named 7th place, earning a $500 scholarship to Slippery Rock University for communications and digital media production, where she’ll be attending next fall. Alyssa’s name was called for 3rd overall in their solo division, a huge honor, especially given the level of talent in her category. With that placement came a $2,000 prize to go toward her sophomore year at the University of Pittsburgh at Greensburg, where she’ll be studying early childhood education in the fall. It wasn’t just an award, it was validation of everything they poured into this season: all their strength, resilience, and skills.

However, their story is far from over. This coming weekend, April 12–13, Alyssa and Sophia will take the stage one final time as competitive dancers. They’ll perform “Last Dance” with their group for the very last time, knowing that this is their final bow, their final standing ovation. And both of them will step onto that stage with their solos, one last performance, one last chance to be judged, one last time to give everything they have.

For Sophia and Alyssa, this final weekend is layered with emotion. They’re not just saying goodbye to competing… They’re saying goodbye to the stage that helped shape them into the young women they are today. Through dance, they learned how to persevere through pain, how to express emotions words couldn’t hold, how to lead, and how to be vulnerable. Alyssa learned how to fight for herself, even when it meant dancing in a sling, scared and unsure. Sophia, on the other hand, learned how to lift others, just as so many people had done for her. Dance was never just a hobby for the girls, it was home.

This weekend will mark the final time they get to put on their costumes, the final time they will hear their numbers called, and the final time the girls take the stage not just as a dancer but as a storyteller, a fighter, and though it’s the end of one journey, it’s only the beginning of another.