Sixth grader Bella Gregg is representing Horizon Honors this weekend at the Second Annual Young Choreographers Competition. Her number, imagined and brought to life by her creativity and talent, is titled “People Help People,” a lyrical-contemporary routine. The idea came to her after hearing the song that happens to be by one of her favorite artists, Birdy. “You never know when you’ll be the one who needs help.  We are stronger when we work together and help each other out,” Gregg commented sagely. She simply had to enter a dance. Last year, she performed in a friend’s number and was finally old enough to enter her own dance this year.

Centered around reaching out to those who need it, the dancers will be dressed in simple white dresses, with one in brown to represent a need for guidance and support. The 11-year-old features herself and three of her closest friends in the dance, none above the age of 12. All the girls in the dance compete on Dance Studio 111’s Prima Junior Elite Company Team, a top-notch group of young and remarkable athletes, just like Gregg. Emphasis on the word athlete – Gregg takes her job just as seriously as any professional football player; what she does is simply prettier.

“People Help People” will go head-to-head with nine other pieces, from choreographers ages 11-19, all hungry for the $1,000 first-place cash prize. The competition will be held on Saturday, Feb. 1 at Tempe Center for the Arts at 7pm, with a star-studded judging panel including Brian Friedman, renown costume designer Marcea, and one of Gregg’s personal favorites, choreographer Matthew Fata. Gregg will also be performing in the opening and closing numbers for the show.

Nervous is only a word that crops up once in a while, this being one of those times. But competing is a passion of hers. This year marks her fourth year as a competitive dancer and she says competition and going head-to-head with her friends keeps them on their toes, encouraging them to dance better and work harder. At the end of the day, winning doesn’t matter to her. She prides herself in taking the initiative in teaching and choreographing a dance: “I feel like there is no better time to take my first step,” she stated.