INDIANAPOLIS—What began as a way to heal and reconnect ended with STOMPtastic stepping onto the world stage and sweeping several top honours.
STOMPtastic returned home to Haldimand as the Overall Dance Team Grand Champion, earning three first-place finishes, one second-place finish, and two awards in choreography at the 2025 World Dance Showdown in Indianapolis, Indiana.
For a team whose members range in age from 19 to their early 70s, the win capped a year of intensive training, close friendships, and a level of polish that surprised competitors and judges alike.
Keith Curley has been part of the line dancing community for nearly 13 years. He said the atmosphere surrounding the team’s successes reflected what the group brings to every rehearsal. He listed the many benefits, from getting exercise – “about 8,000 steps in two hours” – to meeting new people.
“You make good friends. You can travel together, go out socially together, so it’s the best part … meeting the people and having fun,” he said.
Sixteen team members made the trip to Indianapolis after more than a year of preparation. Kassandra O’Brian said, “We were … (practising) three nights a week, two to three hours a night, and that was just like our official time. And then there’s the time we all spent in our living rooms with our families looking at us like we’re crazy.”
O’Brian said the team learned 14 routines in total, including five team pieces and several choreography competition entries. Their director, Brantford’s Joan Minnery, also performed solo and duet routines, plus two phrased choreography pieces.
For many dancers, the trip carried personal meaning. Janice Schweder joined the group in 2022 while recovering from breast cancer surgery and preparing for the eventual death of her husband.
“I needed to move into something different to keep me going when he did pass,” said Schweder. “I’ve loved it.”
The competition drew dancers from multiple countries with more than 600 entries in choreography alone.
STOMPtastic’s schedule was packed from the moment they arrived after the seven-and-a-half-hour drive.
Friday featured 85 beginner improver choreography routines. Saturday brought the team’s five back-to-back performances with fast costume changes “in the hallway because there was no time to go anywhere else,” O’Brian said.
Later that afternoon came intermediate and phrased choreography. Their final routine, a high-energy ‘Proud Mary’, was performed Sunday before the awards.
Their attention to costuming helped them stand out. Schweder said, “We came out very polished, very practiced. We knew what we were doing and our outfits were stunning. The other teams were coming out in old blue jeans or cut-off shorts…. Every time we would come out, we had a different outfit on.”
By the end of the weekend, STOMPtastic was named Overall Dance Team Grand Champion. They secured first place Team Showstopper for ‘Proud Mary’, first place Non-Country Team for ‘Moves Like Jagger’, first place Legacy Routine for their Elvis tribute, first place team choreography for ‘Good Times’, and second place Team Country for ‘Jambalaya’. Minnery earned two Synergy Awards for her beginner and phrased choreography entries, as well as fourth place out of 85 for ‘Whiskey In My Step’ and fifth place out of 65 for ‘All Aboard’.
Their performances also won over spectators. O’Brian said, “The number of times we left that floor and people were just like, ‘how do you guys remember this?’ … Our positivity was very contagious.”
Curley added that Minnery even performed vocally during the event: “She got to sing on the Friday night and entertain people…. She loves doing that.”
The win sparked pride within the tightly connected group, which includes members from Hagersville, Caledonia, Dunnville, and Brantford.
Schweder said, “I was so, so happy, so blown away with our awards. Absolutely.”
O’Brian echoed the feeling. “We all went in … hoping maybe one would sort of justify everything, and to be recognized across all the different categories – we were all in tears.”
STOMPtastic continues to perform locally at fairs, community events, and charity functions. They expect to stay active through the holiday season, with larger competitive plans still to be decided. O’Brian said, “The team goes out and we’re in the community all the time. We love to be at good birthday party.”
Despite the long practices, travel, and scale of the event, the team is already being encouraged to return.
For now, they are celebrating what they achieved together. A team built on friendship, persistence, and shared joy came home with world titles – and a community ready to cheer them on.
Anyone interested in becoming a member can contact Minnery at joan@joanminnery.com or visit joanminnery.com for more information.
