The Uniplex was a sea of tapped, jazzed, and balletted feet and flowing costumes as 800 dancers from 19 studios all across the province grooved their way across the On Stage Dance Festival stage.
On Stage organizer, Cori Norman, says that the weekend went off without a hitch and they have received numerous compliments.
The crowd and energy were amazing, says Norman.
Kylie Redl-Gosselin with Impact Dance, says that they had an amazing weekend with two groups in the Golden Ticket competition on Sunday afternoon.
The weekend had a lot of great dancing and competition, says Redl-Gosselin.
Dayna Keller with DK Dance Visions says her dancers had a really good weekend at the competition with one Senior group making their way into the Golden Ticket round and a lot of her students placing in their dances.
Dawson Keller did win the 13 and over Outstanding All-around performer, something he has been striving for his whole life, says Dayna.
Norman, says that it is nice to have Dawson represent Humboldt as the winner. Dawson will be added to the banners that are on display in the Uniplex during competition weekend.
“It’s a pleasure to watch him on stage,” says Norman.
Dayna wants to congratulate all her students on the wonderful weekend they had. Many of DK Dance Vision dancers received mini-awards from the adjudicators throughout the weekend and awards for everything from solos to groups.
Adjudicators Nancy Pezzo, Sheri Green, and Regan Calicetto were very impressed at the quality of dance and the number of dancers coming from Saskatchewan.
Along with judging competitions, all three women also teach varying styles of dance, from Green’s musical theatre background, to Pezzo’s ballet, to Calicetto’s hip hop and acro styles.
The number of volunteers and the quality of the festival really says a lot about the support of dance in the Humboldt area, says Green.
“What a great opportunity for the kids and Humboldt.”
Green says that Humboldt has an amazing group of volunteers who are dedicated to putting on a great show.
Redl-Gosselin and Dayna both congratulated On Stage for a job well done with the competition.
“We have tons of kids who compete there. We just want to say thank you to them,” says Redl-Gosselin.
“Everybody on the committee was great to work with, the Uniplex staff were wonderful. Congratulations to everybody on a job well done,” says Dayna.
Pezzo who specializes in ballet was really impressed with the number of ballet students who came out to compete and the technique that is really secure.
Calicetto came all the way from Vancouver to adjudicate mostly Acro, Lyrical, Contemporary, and Hip Hop. She says that every dancer brought something new and different to the stage.
Some of the dances that really stuck out in the adjudicators minds is the dances that introduced a new element to their routine.
One group from Angela’s Dance Academy in Strasbourg used drum sticks to bang out a rhythm to go along with their fast paced tap routine. Another group used scarves to create a silhouette to dance behind.
“They really used them wisely,” says Pezzo, “the choreography and the way they used the scarves was so inventive.”
A new endeavour for dancers this year is Acro, a mixture of dancing and gymnastics.
Calicetto says Acro is huge in Vancouver and has been growing for the past eight years and has finally started to spread out to more rural dance clubs.
Calicetto says that acro is great for dancers to develop more upper body strength and flexibility.
“The kids are so excited to do really cool things,” says Calicetto, who gets requests to teach back handsprings and back flips.
This excitement brings on a new level of dedication for dance and Calicetto says that they learn things really quickly in her upper year courses.
Dance Festival Award Results
Golden Ticket - Supported by Johnny’s Bistro & Pioneer Hotel
13 & over
Bottom of the River - Lanigan Dance Dynamics ($1000)
Sort Of - Lanigan Dance Dynamics ($500)
Rythmnation - Angela’s Dance Academy (Strasbourg) ($250)
Swing Baby - DK Dance Visions (Humbodlt) ($100)
Compton Crew - Extravadance (Canora) ($100)
Cheshire Cat - Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
12 & under
Rhythm Nations - U Dance (Moosomin) ($500)
Tribal Riot - Impact Dance Company (Humboldt) ($250)
The Dream - Cupar Dance Club ($125)
Teen Beach - Extravadance (Canora)
Outstanding Choreographers - Supported by Colony Chevrolet GMC Buick Ltd
Tap - Angela Mayor: Rhymnation, Angela’s Dance Academy (Strasbourg)
Ballet - Kristin Weber-Karcha: The Girl in Red, Extravadance (Canora)
Jazz - Kara Dubyk: Bottom of the River, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Lyrical - Amber Hurion & Terra-Lee Armstrong: The Yellow Light, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Hip Hop - White Chocolate, Compton Crew Extravadance (Canora)
Musical Theatre - Dayna Keller: Jazzamtaz, DK Dance Visions (Humbodlt)
Song & Dance - Claire Castle: Teen Beach Extravadance (Canora)
Modern - Allysa Hinz: Framed, DK Dance Visions (Humbodlt)
Contemporary - Taran Schmidt: Drafted, Extravadance (Canora)
Workshops & Scholarships
Acrobatique
Teacher Scholarship & Student Examination & Workshop Convention: Watrous School of Dance
Angela’s Dance Academy, $100 cash award: Kamryn Holma, Watrous School of Dance
Dance Ink Summer Workshop: Carlee Klatt, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Edmonton School of Ballet: Jade Beischer, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Harbour Dance Centre: Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
Impact Dancy Company: Jenna Schmidt, Watrous School of Dance
The School of Toronto Dance Theatre: Mason McGrath, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
DK Dance Intensive: Laurissa Fedorchuk, Extravadance (Canora); Claire St Mars, Extravadance (Canora)
CDTA Dance Jam: Celina Remlinger, Watrous School of Dance
Extravadance Studio Summer Dance Camp: Madison Newberry, Lanigan Dance Dynamics; Courtney Sunderland, DK Dance Visions
Groove Street Productions: Sydney Hicks, Watrous School of Dance
Lanigan Summer School: Hannah Friesen, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt); Carson Gosselin, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt); Hailey Desjarlais, Extravadance (Canora)
Pure Energy: Jaycee Sperling, Watrous School of Dance; Brynn Sundholm, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Summer Dance Explosion: Kaitlin Boe, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Triple Threat Dance Convention: Tristen Lozinski, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Wade Dance Camp: Shylo Frey, Watrous School of Dance
OnStage Dance Festival Awards
Solos
Outstanding All-Round Performer (13 & over): Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
(12 & under): Reese Stroeder, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Promising All-Round Performer (13 & over): Jade Beischer, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Hailey Desjarlais, Extravadance (Canora)
Outstanding Tap (13 & over): Carlie Klatt, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Reese Wildeman, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Promising Tap (13 & over): Brynn Sundholm, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Jaycee Sperling, Watrous School of Dance
Outstanding Jazz (13 & over): Brynn Sundholm, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Jaycee Sperling, Watrous School of Dance
Promising Jazz (13 & over): Sydney Hicks, Watrous School of Dance
(12 & under): Madison Rorquist, Wadena School of Dance
Outstanding Ballet (13 & over): Sydney Hicks, Watrous School of Dance
(12 & under): Jaycee Sperling, Watrous School of Dance
Promising Ballet (13 & over): Jade Beischer, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Mekayla George, Cupar School of Dance
Outstanding Hip Hop (13 & over): Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
(12 & under): Sarah Kuervers, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Promising Hip Hop (13 & over): Madison Newberrry, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Maria Polimac, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Outstanding Lyrical: Celina Remlinger, Watrous School of Dance
Promising Lyrical: Carlie Klatt, Lanigan Dancy Dynamics
Outstanding Musical Theatre: Dawson Keller, DK Dance Dynamics
Promising Musical Theatre: Allyssa Rieger, DK Dance Dynamics
Outstanding Song & Dance: Dawson Keller, DK Dance Dynamics
Promising Song & Dance: Claire St. Mars, Extravadance (Canora)
Outstanding Modern: Jordan Schlosser, DK Dance Visions
Promising Modern: Mason McGrath, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Outstanding Contemporary: Sydney Hicks, Watrous School of Dance
Promising Contemporary: Ashton Dyok, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Outstanding Open Dancer: Sarah Pilling, Watrous School of Dance
Duets
Tap (13 & over): Amara Such/Sydney McGrath, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Hayley Destosses/Mekayla George/Piage Pele, Cupar School of Dance
Jazz (13 & over): Nicole Girolami/Alexis Helberg, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
(12 & under): Emily Chitwood/Sarah Chitwood, Angela’s Dance Academy (Strasbourg)
Hip Hop (13 & over): Carlie Klatt/Jade Beischer, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & under): Gage Gosselin/Maria Polimac, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Ballet (13 & over): Kamryn Holma/Syndey Hicks/Jenna Schmidt, Watrous School of Dance
(12 & under): Avry Barnes/Hailey Stumborg, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Lyrical (13 & over): Allyssa Reiger/Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
(12 & under): Breanne Woloshyn/Lexie Biletski, Extravadance (Canora)
Modern (13 & over): Jordan Schlosser/Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
Contemporary (13 & over): Taylor Stelzer/Dawson Keller, DK Dance Visions
Musical Theatre (13 & Over): Shayna & Shelby Campbell, Wadena School of Dance
(12 & under): Rachel Germain/Sarah Kuervers Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Song & Dance (13 & Over): Kristian Rayner/Laurissa Fedorchuk, Extravadance (Canora)
Groups
Tap (13 & Over): Just Dance, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & Under): Jitterbug, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Jazz (13 & Over): Bottom of the River, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & Under): Real Wild Child, DK Dance Visions
Hip Hop (13 & Over): Compton Crew, Extravadance (Canora)
(12 & Under): Tribal Riot, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Ballet (13 & Over): Titanium, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
(12 & Under): The Dream, Cupar School of Dance
Lyrical (13 & Over): Time to Serve, DK Dance Visions
(12 & Under): Stand Still, Wadena School of Dance
Modern (13 & Over): The Queen, Impact Dance Company (Humboldt)
Contemporary (13 & Over): Sort Of, Lanigan Dance Dynamics
Musical Theatre (13 & Over): Jazzamataz, DK Dance Visions
(12 & Under): Technical Disguise, DK Dance Visions
Song & Dance (12 & Under): Teen Beach, Extravadance (Canora)
Results courtesy of Cori Norman
