Web Release FIRST PAGE - SMALL GROUPS July 7, 2008

Note: I have divided this into two pages. And I have linked it to other places above.

Thanks so much to all of you for your patience on this.

JACKSONVILLE DANCE COMPANY

PERFORMERS COMPETE

IN NEXSTAR NATIONAL DANCE COMPETITION

AT GATLINBURG, TENNESSEE

Fifty-five of 63-member Huff ‘n Puff Jacksonville Dance Company (JDC) competed the week of July 1, through July 5, 2008, at the Nexstar National Dance Competition, which was held at the Convention Center in Gatlinburg, Tennessee. The JDC performers performed their best of the year against some of the strongest and best dance teams in the nation. The Company has competed against really strong Arkansas and out-of-state dance companies in past national competitions, but none quite as strong as was seen in the Nexstar competition. It was a great experience for the dancers and all had a fun time – not only at the five-day competition --but nearly everyone had a chance to experience GATLINBURG, the tourist town!

Notes on the business of the dance competition first and pleasure second – which will follow later!!!

Some competitions are a little different in their scoring, group ages and number of dancers that form the category. Nexstar competed solos; duets and trios; small groups-- four to nine dancers; large groups--ten to nineteen dancers; and lines--twenty or more performers. Many types of dance genre were competed in this competition with jazz, tap, clogging, lyrical, hiphop, pom, modern, character, musical theater, production and open (dance that fits several categories but not exclusively one) leading the list. Also several very interesting and entertaining dances fit into the Acro/Gymnastics category.

In the Nexstar competition, performers fit into three divisions - “Just for Kix” Division, “NewStar” division and “Nexstar” division, and it is up to the studio to determine the division in which to enter. Guidance on the division determinations was offered as to how many hours a week the students train and experience in competition. JDC was entered in the Nexstar division, although most of the other companies train many, many more hours a week than we.

At regional competitions, usually only three people judge, but for the national competition, Nexstar selected five judges to judge for the first four days of competition and then different people judged the Big Show performances on Saturday.

Nexstar scoring divisions are determined by a point-scoring system. Awards are: Honorable Mention, Bronze, High Bronze, Silver, High Silver, Gold, High Gold, and Platinum. In addition to receiving the adjudicated score, the top-scoring performance in the age group received a Top First award. Additionally, in each awards session, trophies were awarded for top five scores for different competing age groups in each performance level (Just for Kix, NewStar and Nexstar.) These awards were for top scores, no matter the genre. Also certain performances were chosen for the “Big Show” competition that was competed on Saturday to determine the National Championships.

Special Judges’ Awards were also given to different acts at each Award Session.

There was no listing of dance companies so there was no way to tell how many companies competed, but the states of Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Kentucky, Michigan, Ohio, South Carolina and Tennessee were represented. The competition, which had almost 500 acts (and no telling how many competitors,) began Tuesday morning with over 84 solos, ages four to eleven, and continued in the afternoon with 89 solos, ages twelve to fourteen. Fifty-seven solos for ages sixteen to eighteen were performed Wednesday morning and 68 duets and trios competed on Wednesday afternoon. Forty-two small-group performances (four to nine performers) ages four to eleven, began competing on Thursday morning. Sixty-one small-group performances, ages twelve and up, competed on Thursday afternoon.

Age four-to-eleven large-group performances (32) and nine line performances were competed Friday morning. Some of the line performances (that were so much fun to watch) included fifty dancers or more with elaborate props, background effects and costumes. One dance company out of Florida that won so many of the top awards needed to have brought a semi-truck to carry all of their props!!! Age twelve-and-up large (38) and nine line performances were competed Friday afternoon.

Award sessions separated each large session, and since each day was broken into younger performers (ages four to eleven) and older performers (ages twelve and up) two awards sessions were presented each day. An adult dance group topped off the Friday competition with their Funk/Hiphop performance. The competition program lists the names of all the performers in each dance, but for this adult performance, the program read “The names are not printed to protect the innocent!”

Jacksonville Dance Company soloists competed Tuesday afternoon and Wednesday morning – more about those performances later.

I guess it goes without saying that we were very proud of all of our dancers. We thought they did their best performance of the year.

JDC DANCE PERFORMANCES

JDC competed it’s “Hand Clap” hip hop performance on Thursday morning at 9:03 (which meant that we all had to be there at 8:03 (and Gatlinburg time is an hour earlier than ours) so it was EARLY! The “Hand Clap performers competed in the age seven-eight category (ages of the dancers are averaged.) Ms. Sara had taught this dance, and the dancers won a Gold Award and a First-Place Trophy.

"Hand Clap" Performers - from left to right back row - Alexandria Leirer, Regan Campbell, Michael York, Katy Turner and Emily Snell. Second row - Tegan Rea and Mackenzie Ellis with Mattie Taylor on the front row. Dancers, you did such a good job and we are so proud of you.

"Hand Clap" performers are shown here with Ms. Lois. Dancers were instructed by Ms. Sara; Ms. Lois took over class when Ms. Sara went on maternity leave.

The “Five-Six-Seven-Eight” tap dancers taught by Ms. Kim, were the next JDC performers to compete. These dancers competed as average age ten and also won a Gold Award.

"Five-Six-Seven-Eight" Dancers shown here from left to right, front row are Kaitlynn Coleman, Heather Weth, Amber Bajorek, Micah Perry; dancers with hands on knees are Kira Jinkins and Alexandria Leirer. Back row, left to right, dancers are Lauren Boatman, Taylor Mays and Maurie Gangluff.

The older dancers competed in the afternoon with the JDC jazz dancers performing to “Let’s Get Loud.” The dancers competed as average age thirteen and won a Gold Award. The jazz dancers were taught by Ms. Lois.

"Let's Get Loud" Dancers pose here before their performance. From left to right are Jessica Holeman, Joi Smith, Madison Winstead, Kaitlin Soderlund, Niki Rodgers and Jennifer McDonough.

The Jazz Dancers are shown here with Ms. Lois.

The next JDC performance was by the Small Group Lyrical, average age thirteen, to “Three A. M.” These dancers, taught by Ms. Lois, won a Gold Award.

Posing here after their beautiful (but sad) lyrical dance are the "Three A. M." Dancers. Seated from left to right are Tori Spears, Tori Hanley and Briyana Isaac. Kneeling in the center is Madison Winstead and standing behind are Jessica Holeman, and Amanda Cross.

And shown here, also after their dance, are the small-group lyrical dancers posing with Ms. Lois.

The last JDC competition of the day was the “Dancin’ Fool” performance by the tap dancers (average age twelve) who were taught by Ms. Sara. The dancers won a Gold Award, missing a High Gold Award by .1 of a point, out of 260 points, earning a 259.9. They also won the First-Place Trophy.

Posing here before their incredible performance to "Dancin' Fool" left to right, front, are Briyana Isaac, Hannah Moler, Kaitlin Soderlund, and Bailey Jo Rhodes. Standing in back are Jessica Holeman and Kassie Shepard. Great going, girls!!

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