Galbreath named Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville

In front of a packed house in The Ritz Theatre Friday night, Hallie Jo Galbreath received the title of the 2016 Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville.

Performing alongside her and receiving the title of Distinguished Young Women Finalists are Holly Nygren and Samantha Asmussen.

Community members, and friends and families of the participants packed into The Ritz Theatre for a nearly sold out show on March 20. The new venue proved to be favorable for the majority of those in attendance, who appreciated the clear vantage points to the stage and also more comfortable seating.

The Alice in Wonderland themed evening began with a group dance performed by all the cast members involved in the evening’s events. The three participants, their sophomore sisters, the outgoing DYW court and the junior escorts performed a comical routine to “Thriller” to the delight of those in attendance.

After introductions provided by the emcees Kristin Kuster and Aundrea Wolf, the fitness routine began.

The participants were judged in five categories: fitness, academics, talent, interview and self-expression.

The interview portion of the judging was completed in front of a guest panel of judges in the afternoon prior to the event.

During the fitness routine, the three girls individually performed on stage for the judges. The routine had been modified from the 2015 Washington State DYW Program earlier this year, and outgoing Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville Cassie Ewing instructed the participants in the routine.

After the completion of the fitness routine, the participants prepared to perform their individual talent on stage. The performing arts play a large role in the importance of the DYW program, and the talent portion makes up a significant amount of the judging percentage.

Nygren went on stage first and performed a pointe dance routine to the song, “Singing in the Rain.” Her gracefulness and confidence on stage helped lead to a well-executed routine.

The second candidate to perform was Galbreath, who completed a clogging routine she had choreographed to the song “You Can’t Stop the Beat” from the musical Hairspray. Her energetic and animated dance captivated and reenergized the crowd.

Asmussen took the stage as the last candidate to perform her talent and played a flute solo of “Amazing Grace.” Her patriotic and fluidness with completing the song proved her talent as a musician.

Entertainment segments during the show included performances by the outgoing court, Ewing, Kymberlee Webb and Katie Manke.

The Distinguished Young Woman of Leavenworth Bonnie James also performed during the event.

The program moved into the self-expression portion, when the candidates wear formal dresses and walk a set routine on stage. The candidates then return to answer a single impromptu question in front of the crowd.

All of the candidates answered flawlessly and had the opportunity to rest briefly during the farewells of the outgoing DYW girls.

By intermission, the crowd discussed amongst themselves the perceived front-runner in the contest. It was unanimous that the performances had been balanced and all three girls had done an above-average job in their routines.

Nygren, Asmussen and Galbreath gathered on stage with their sophomore sisters for the announcement of the Spirit Award, Scholastic Award and who would be designated the Distinguished Young Woman of Ritzville.

Both the Spirit and Scholastic awards went to Nygren. The spirit award does not have any weight on the final judging percentage.

Finally the announcement came that Galbreath would serve as the 2016 Distinguished Young Women of Ritzville.

The three girls will now spend the upcoming year attending and participating in parades throughout the area.