Let the competition season begin!
The lead-up has been long. The highs have been high. The lows have been low. And now, the moment all the dancers, parents, teachers, choreographers and supporters have been waiting for is finally here: competition season!
Dance Canada recap
LNDC Simcoe’s first official full-team competition kicked off on Thursday, March 27. Dance Canada took place over four exciting days at the Americana Conference Hotel and Resort in Niagara Falls, Ont. We are so pleased to have finally started this amazing competition season. As a reminder, this year’s competition season is special because:
- We have not one, but two new novice competitive teams (our PeeWee and Petite teams) competing;
- It’s our first season with a sister studio in Brantford; and
- It’s our twenty-fifth studio anniversary!
We entered a total of 119 routines out of our 121 (sadly, our beautiful senior dancer Harper sustained an injury days before the competition, but she was a beautiful supporter from the audience). That was 119 opportunities to leave our souls on stage, to entertain audiences and to prove that small towns have big talent.
And boy, we did not disappoint!
It’s almost impossible to recap everything, but here are some of the highlights.
First of all, our dancers took home many High Golds, Dynamic Golds and category wins. Beyond high scores, we were also rewarded with 17 Defining Moments (special awards). These ranged from The “Fun & Fabulous” award for “I Wanna Dance” (open extended line; chor. Lisa Naves-Abonyi) and “Honest Performance” for Ellie T. in “Sanctuary” (contemporary solo; chor. Jordyn Winger) to “Greek Chorus” for “Us” (senior/inter contemporary line; chor. Jordyn Winger and Charlotte Vanderlee).
The following numbers also took home Judges’ Choice awards, recognized as the judges’ favourite numbers for that part of the day: “Pink Cadillac” (peewee jazz, chor. Lisa Naves-Abonyi); “Can’t Turn You Loose” (petite jazz, chor. Jordyn Winger); “Trendsetters” (inter and senior hip-hop, chor. Miguel Ramirez); “Fire and Ice” (acro line, chor. Lisa Naves-Abonyi) and “Us.”
We also had a grand total of 27 numbers place in the top-five for their respective age categories (all genres).
At the end of the competition, we also received the junior judges’ choice award for “I Wanna Dance” and the senior judges’ choice award for “Us.” Two for two! Isla also received the third overall junior high score for “The Genius of the Crowd.”
The following dancers were awarded “Golden Tickets” to compete at nationals, as they placed among the top solos/soloists in their age categories (get ready, it’s a big list): Brice, Scarlett, Ella, Raya, Samira, Kylie, Clara, Phoenix, Ada, Alivia N., Isla, Reece, Bria, Brooke, Arwyn, Claire S., Ellie T., Kaitlyn S., Kaitlyn D., Elyse and Max.
And, Scarlett, Isla, Claire S. and Ellie T. all received scholarships. Bravo, dancers!
DMC recap
The next weekend was an optional but very important competition for our Simcoe dancers. Six of our dancers showcased their talents at the Dance Masters of Canada (Dance Masters of America, Chapter 38) title pageant and performing arts competition in Hamilton. This is the sole Canadian chapter for DMA, meaning any title winners represent not just Chapter 38 but also Canada when competing on a national level.
For the solo title competition, Scarlett and Ella competed for Petite Miss; Iris for Junior Miss; Arwyn for Teen Miss and Max for Mr. Dance. Ada also celebrated the milestone of officially handing her Petite Miss sash and title to another dancer, competing her year as Petite Miss of Chapter 38. Throughout this transformative year, Ada’s title privileges included assisting at DMC events and workshops, public speaking and, of course, representing Chapter 38 at Nationals last July.
Title competitions are a great opportunity for dancers because they showcase not only their dance and performance skills, but also their speaking skills.
Max was recognized with the Miss/Mr. Tap award and the Miss/Mr. Interview award, for having the highest achievement in those categories for his age group.
Our dancers also competed in the performing arts competition alongside the title pageant. Special awards included “Terrific Technique” for Ada’s contemporary solo, “First Glimpsy of Daylight” (chor. Jordyn Winger); “Super Storyteller” for Max’s open solo, “The Fool” (chor. Grace Abonyi) and “Fluid & Versatility” for Arwyn’s open solo, “Shift to Blue” (chor. Avery Howard).
Avery also won choreography awards for two solos; “Smile” and “Shift to Blue.”
For overalls, Max and Arwyn placed third and second in senior solo, respectively, with their open solos. They also each won scholarships.
We’re so pleased with how competition season has kicked off. Remember: the wins are about more than just the scores and the awards. Embrace the magic and don’t blink – it’s over faster than you think!
Bring on Shock and the rest of the season!
