WINDSOR JUNCTION: The dancers from Element Dance Studio in Bedford and Windsor Junction-based Rage Dance Studio racked up the hardware at a pair of recent competitions.
Element, which is headed up by Janelle Warren Konowal, has several performers who hail from the Waverley/Fall River area among their dancers.
At the Limelight Dance competition in Halifax, Element picked up eight special awards; and nine Top Mark awards, and five scholarships. Meanwhile, at the Showdown competition 12 awards, including a pair for choreography of dance routines.
At Limelight, grabbing the captivating performance award was the routine Fast Car by Jasmine Hubley-Parnell; Comedic Performance Award: That Man (Annalise Bechard and Alyssa Cross); Proptastic Performance – The Doll by Ainsley Forrest; That’s Entertainment Award: Hannah Rooney with Blind Date; Passion & Performance Award: I Cry by Heidi Wadden; Natural Talent Award: White Ferrari (Nathan Dey); Impressive Artistry award: How to Build a Home from Jaden Slawter); and the Family award: Can’t Stop the Feeling (Parent/dancer dance).
Laura Wadden led the top mark awards picking up the Top Mark for Intermediate solo/duo/trio specialty solo for Bailando; Intermediate Solo/Duo/Trio Street Jazz : Pills and Potions (Jill Weatherby); Top Mark Open Solo/Duo/Trio Specialty: Heidi Wadden; Top Mark Open Solo/Duo/Trio Student Choreography : I Cry by Heidi Wadden; Top Mark Open Contemporary Solo/Duo/Trio 13 & Over was Stan Tonin with Someday; Top Mark Novice Student Choreo: How to Build a Home by Jaden Slawter; 12 & Under Intermediate Hip Hop Group: School’s Out (Lightning); 13 & Over Hip Hop Group: Riot (Vapour); Open Professional Group ($250 cash prize): Never Let Me Go (Element Teachers: Janelle Warren Konowal, Chantal Dube, Jessica Slessor, Emily Vallis, and Taylor Cudney.
There were four routines from Element that made it to The Vault. They were You Know (Stan Tonin); Chasing Light (Alyssa Cross); Riot (Vapour); and Can’t Stop The Feeling (Parent/dancer dance).
Winning a Be Discovered – The Summer in L.A. Super Star Intensive scholarship ($2,000) was Stan Tonin; Be Discovered – The Performance Intensive in L.A. or NYC scholarship ($2,000): Alyssa Cross; Best Costume: Stormtroopers; The Vault Runner-Up Solo/Duo/Trio ($150): Chasing Light by Alyssa Cross; The Vault Runner-Up Group ($250): Riot (Stan Tonin, Ainsley Forrest, Alyssa Cross, Heidi Wadden, Olivia Chute, Madison Irvine, Annalise Bechard, and Marin Smith).
At the Showdown competition, where Element only brought a few dancers, they received Top mark overall in contemporary for Someday (Stan Tonin); Top mark overall lyrical: Remembering You (Stan Tonin); Top mark overall jazz: You Know (Stan Tonin); Top mark overall specialty: Through This Skin (Heidi Wadden) – Top mark overall street jazz: Ghostbusters (Heidi and Laura Wadden); Top mark 12 & under solo/duo/trio in third place: The Doll (Ainsley Forrest); Top mark 12 & under solo/duo/trio in second place: Our Broken Home (Ainsley Forrest and Stan Tonin); Top mark 12 & under solo/duo trio in 1st place: Someday (Stan Tonin).
Earning the judges award for storytelling and performance were Remembering You (Stan Tonin); Choreography award: Someday (Choreographer: Brittney McCarthy / dancer: Stan Tonin); Choreography award: That Man (Choreographer: Brittney McCarthy / dancers: Annalise Bechard and Alyssa Cross); second runner up Showdown Finalist ($500 cash prize): Someday (Stan Tonin).
Meanwhile, the Rage Dance Studio, based out of the Fall River School of Performing Arts in Windsor Junction, saw a bit of hardware go their way with Emily Butler and Alexis Murphy taking home second; Ben Cox earned first for his hip hop solo and fourth overall in the senior category.
The Rage Dance studio also picked up hardware from their Junior Jazz – second place with a High Gold; McKaylee Hart in Junior contemporary solo earning second place gold and Ella Deveau with a Jr. Contemporary solo third place. The Junior Contemporary Group earned second place gold.
In the senior contemporary category, the Rage dancers senior group took home first place while in the senior jazz class, they also were the top dogs.
phealey@enfieldweeklypress.com
