Long before she knew of the competitions and awards that awaited her, Marlee Hatch knew that dance was going to be something that would define the rest of her life. From the age of three, she was dancing everywhere she went, growing into the person she is today through movement.
“It has been such a gift to watch Marlee grow up through dance,” her mother, Heather Hatch, said. “I’ve felt proud of her at every stage of her journey.”
Hatch has been named this year’s Dance Sterling Scholar, an honor that recognizes not only her years of dedication to the art, but also her excellence in dance technique, choreography, and service.
Her dance journey began when she took her first studio classes at The Winner School. After dancing there for nearly five years, she transferred to The Dance Company, a studio her mother helped create alongside her best friend, Hilary Murray.
Now a senior, Hatch has continued to dance there throughout all her school years. She has loved every minute spent there and considers the dance studio to be her second home. Having her mom there by her side as both a coach and constant supporter has made her experience even more significant.
“I’m constantly in awe of her talent, dedication and heart,” Heather said. “Being able to witness her progress and be part of something that has shaped her life in such positive ways has meant very much to me.”
Additional to competitive studio dance, Hatch has been on various dance teams throughout high school. As a freshman at Olympus, she was on their JV dance team, Orchesis. Her sophomore year she danced for the Varsity dance company at Olympus before switching over to Highland and dancing there for her Junior and Senior year.
Dance has also given back to Hatch as much as she gives it and has helped in shaping her into the person she is today.
“Dance has impacted Marlee in so many ways. It has built her confidence and strengthened her self-esteem. It has taught her discipline, time management, resilience, and the value of teamwork,” Heather said.
The countless conventions, competitions, and teams have also given Hatch opportunities to make lifelong friendships and connections. The dance community is so strong, and her involvement in it has been more than a safe space to express emotion, but also ways to create the closest of friends.
“I love that dance has gotten me through so much,” Hatch said. “And it’s so great that I’ve been given the chance to make a lot of strong connections with people that I now call my best friends.”
Looking ahead, Hatch hopes to continue making these connections through dance in her future. Although she is not entirely sure what that will look like yet, she plans to continue her education at San Diego State University and hopes to find opportunities to keep dancing there.
“I truly believe she has the talent and work ethic to pursue dance professionally, teach, or choreograph if she chooses. As she begins college life in San Diego, I imagine she’ll continue training and taking classes while exploring new opportunities,” Heather said. “No matter what path she chooses, dance will always be part of who she is. I know it will remain a source of joy and strength throughout her life.”
When she isn’t dancing, you can often find Hatch spending time with friends, resting or working on schoolwork. But if it were up to her, she would choose to spend all her time dancing.
Amongst the crazy chaos of life – changing schools and navigating other high school challenges – dance has always been the one ever steady thing in her life, and she doesn’t know where she would be without it.
“It has been a constant in my life,” Hatch said. “Something can change or something can happen, but dance has always been the one thing to stay the same.”
