DANCE
March
31, 2005
There is no new Dance story this week.
Local dancers compete
in Boston
January
13, 2005

Vineyard Danceworks students strut their stuff in the piece
"All right" on stage in Boston. Photo courtesy of
Mia Allicea
|
Local dancers
compete in BostonEdgartowns Danceworks Dance Company spent the
weekend of Nov. 20 and 21 in Boston participating in the New York
City Dance Alliance (NYCDA) dance competition and convention. The
rigorous weekend of nearly non-stop dance began early Saturday morning.
After a day of dance, the 17 girls competed against groups from other
New England dance studios.
During Saturday nights competition, Danceworks received High
Silver Awards for their dances Let it Bump, Everlasting
Love, Hes a Dream, and Dont Speak.
They received Gold Awards for All Right, and It
Doesnt Matter. Special awards included Outstanding Hip
Hop for All Right and It Doesnt Matter,
Outstanding Costume for All Right, and Highest Score Extended
Line for Let it Bump.
Dancers participating in the Boston competition were Jaime Lynn Billings,
Chelsea Brennan, Kate Cecilio, Dani Cleary, Brianna Davies, Abbey
Entner, Julia Friedman, Melanie Lay, Megan Lowe, Anna Markwica, Katie
Ann Mayhew, Whitney OBrien, Tessa Permar, Hayley Pierce, Abbey
Stone, Taylor Stone, and Kirsty Watt.
Although tired and sore, the Vineyard dancers returned home content
and filled with a new love for dance.
As part of NYCDA, dancers took master classes from professionals at
the top of the dance field. Faculty included Joe Lanteri, the conventions
founder, who has appeared in practically every type of media from
stage to commercials and television, and currently teaches at STEPS
on Broadway; A.C. Ciulla, who choreographed Footloose
on Broadway and currently teaches at Broadway Dance Center (BDC) in
New York City; Danny Wallace, who performed in Tap Dogs
and also teaches at BDC; Jason Parsons, who has choreographed and
performed with stars such as Celine Dion; Lisa Danias, who is the
Artistic Director of Theatre Dance in New York City; and Nick Bass,
who has performed in music videos with Britney Spears and Beyonce
Knowles and is currently touring with Janet Jackson.
The dancers, who range in age from 12 to 18 years old, have all danced
with Danceworks for the past seven years and are the studios
most advanced students. Most spend up to 12 hours dancing each week.
Mia Alicea is the director of Danceworks.Dancer Abbey Stone, a Marthas
Vineyard Regional High School student, writes for The High School
View.-30-ADD in a small box with story:
|