Photo by Rick Thompson: Fort Dodge senior Samantha Smith performs at the 49th annual Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Championships in Des Moines.

DES MOINES — Some may see Samantha Smith’s fourth-place finish at the 49th annual Iowa State Dance and Drill Team Championships and feel frustration or disappointment for the Fort Dodge senior.

Smith has an entirely different perspective on the accomplishment.

The Dodger capped her brilliant, unprecedented high school career with a third Top-5 performance in as many years during the Class IX Dance competition. She became the first FDSH student ever to do so in 2022, repeated the feat last December, then secured the trifecta earlier this month.

In addition, Smith was the only currently-active Class IX dancer to place fourth or better in three consecutive seasons at the event, which is the largest of its kind in the nation.

“I have so much to be proud of from my high school dance career,” said Smith, who will be graduating from both FDSH and Iowa Central Community College this spring. “Looking back at my freshman year, I thought placing in the Top-10 was a dream…maybe something I’d achieve as a senior if I worked hard enough. Fast forward, placing in the Top-4 three consecutive times is still unbelievable to me, and I am proud of all the hard work I have put in to achieve it.

“Obviously my ultimate goal was winning a state title, but dance is subjective. After you get off the floor, it’s all up to three judges to formulate an opinion of your dance (with an aggregate score). I know that as long as I give my all on the floor each time, I have zero control over (the outcome). I’m proud of how I stayed consistent through the last three years. Some of my competition reached the top (last December), then fell to the bottom of the final Top-10 or didn’t even qualify.”

Smith pushed herself to take chances and increase the degree of difficulty for her routine despite already attaining an elite level of prior success.

“My performance this year was one of my best. I was very proud of how I showed emotion and told a story while I was dancing, which I have always struggled with,” Smith said. “Overcoming this obstacle and making the audience feel (the emotion of the performance) was important.

“When it comes to the technical aspects, I executed them very well. Overall, I was pleased with how I performed and proud of my growth. Looking back on my freshman year (by comparison), I placed 22nd. I added difficulty and meaning to my performances each year, so going from 22nd to placing in the Top-4 for three consecutive years is something to be proud of.”

In addition to the technical evolution, Smith concentrated on bringing a human element of both strength and vulnerability to her solo.

“I prioritized telling a story while I was dancing, which is a skill I’ve sometimes struggled with in the past,” Smith said. “I tried to connect with the music and audience during each performance — a skill I have improved during this competitive season.

“My song this year was ‘To Be Loved’ by Adele, which is somewhat slow, so my choreography showcased my control and stamina. That was challenging at times because of the various jumps, turns, and flexibility tricks.”

Smith leaned heavily on FDSH dance coach Emily Eastwood and the United All-Stars team as she honed her physical and mental skills.

“Going into the state finals, I felt as ready as I’ve ever felt in my four years of competing (for the Dodgers),” Smith said. “My solo was initially choreographed in July of 2023 by my coach (Eastwood), and I competed this solo for United All-Stars last spring. Competing this solo for an entire year allowed me to perfect every single move and get comfortable with it, especially in nerve-racking (situations).

“After my studio season concluded, I went to Omaha and had the opportunity to have my solo cleaned by Morgan Burke, a talented choreographer from Nashville. He helped rework my solo to make it more challenging and ultimately fix the flow of the entire dance. All this helped me feel prepared and ready to enter both the qualifying round and finals. I felt confident in this dance and knew that if I performed well, I could compete against all of the talented dancers in my class.”

Smith may be closing this chapter of her decorated career, but she will always remember her days as a Dodger with reverence.

“This season has been one of my favorites,” Smith said. “My teammates are some of my best friends and the most supportive humans ever. Saying goodbye to the Fort Dodge dance team is going to be hard, but I am sure this program will become a complete powerhouse in the coming years. I’m happy that I helped pave the way for younger dancers, who now know that placing in the Top-10 is possible. Many young Dodgers have that potential.

“Once I graduate and move on, I want my teammates, classmates, and community to remember me for always offering a helping hand. My main goal is to help the person next to me, whether in dance or school. I want to be a leader, push my teammates to be their best, and be a good example of how we should all be performing and competing.”

Smith added that without her family, friends, coaches and teammates, she wouldn’t be the performer — or the person — she is today.

“My support system during my high school years has been my reason for everything, and they all truly helped me reach every goal I have set for myself,” Smith said. “I first want to thank my coaches and teammates. Emily Eastwood and Shalynn Hanson have pushed me to be my best every day and always believed in me. My team never fails to cheer me up and be by my side through every practice and performance.

“I also want to thank my family. My mom (Jessica), dad (Ryan) and brother (Spencer) have always been my biggest cheerleaders and have sacrificed so much for me to achieve all of my dreams. I want to give special thanks to my brother, who might be the best ‘dance brother’ ever. He’s always the loudest one cheering, knows more about the dance world than most 15-year-old boys, and is my biggest supporter.”

Katie Howard of Dallas Center-Grimes was the Class IX champion, followed by Makynli Bolles of North Scott, Elsie Johnson of Norwalk, and Smith. Defending gold medalist Jordyn Green of DC-G placed eighth.

Howard and Bolles did not qualify for the championship round a year ago. Four of the 10 finalists from 2023 did not make the cut, including last December’s runner-up, Paityn Leigh of North Scott.

Each year, a field of over 70 regional dancers from across Iowa is narrowed down to 10 for the state competition.

To date, Smith and 2023 FDSH graduate Reese Pederson are the only two Dodger dance finalists in school history.