Huff ‘n Puff Wins Big in Weekend Parade Performances

Huff ‘n Puff dancers, gymnasts and parents had a great time at the weekend Christmas Parades held in Jacksonville and Sherwood.  The Huff ‘n Puff group was made up of dancers and gymnasts from the recreational classes as well as members of the Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Competitive Team (both boys and girls), and the Jacksonville Dance Company.  Many parents joined the groups to drive the vehicles and trailers and to assist with the younger performers.  The Huff ‘n Puff contingency was comprised of five dance groups, plus gymnasts from the preschool, recreational, and power tumbling classes, as well as some members of the competitive gymnastics teams.

Four Performance Trophies have traditionally been awarded at both the Jacksonville and Sherwood Parades – a first and second place for the eight-and-under performers and a first and second place for age nine-and-above performers.  The performance category includes any participating dance or gymnastics studios, school cheer or dance groups and any others who wish to enter the parade and be judged.   Groups may also participate without being judged.  Only first-place award winners are allowed to perform before the Comcast cameras. 

Huff ‘n Puff entered the following five dance groups:

“I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” won Second Place in the Younger Division.  This was performed by about 19 dancers from the Tap ‘n Tumbling Classes, ages three to five.  These little dancers wore tap shoes with their pretty green costumes with the pillbox hat.

“Sleigh Ride” won First Place in the Younger Division.  The five and six-year-old dancers performed to this song.  There were 33 dancers in this group and some of the dancers were new students and some of the dancers had been dancing with Huff ‘n Puff since they were three years old.   These dancers, girls and our male star, Carson, wore black jazz pants and shoes with red-long sleeved shirts trimmed with silver logo and black and silver marabou.  Carson wore the male version of this outfit.  Some of the dancers from this group were featured Monday, Dec 4^th on the front page of the B Section of the Arkansas Democrat Gazette.

The third Huff ‘n Puff group to perform in the younger division was comprised of the 39 dancers who performed a rousing number to “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree.” These dancers were from the classes of seven and eight-year-old dancers and the hiphop cheer classes.  They were decked out in their black jazz pants and long-sleeved t-shirt with the silver logo and black marabou.  Their gloves and headgear were of red and they made quite an impression as they performed their dance number in unison.  Five of the dancers performed standing back handsprings in the middle of the dance.  These dancers won the First Place Award in the Sherwood Parade in the Younger Division.

Huff ‘n Puff entered two dance numbers in the Older Division.  Winning Second Place were the 29 Junior dancers, ages ten to thirteen, who performed to “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.”  The dance number, which included precision dancing, high kicks and fuette turns, also included gymnastic feats such as double back handsprings, back handspring-back tucks and another series of advanced tumbling skills.  All of these turns and tumbling skills are quite difficult to perform on the concrete parking lot.  T. J. Johnston, father of one of the dancers, and a former entertainer himself, performed as the Grinch and entertained the crowds along the parade route.   

The final dance group entered by Huff ‘n Puff was comprised of the Senior Company Dancers who performed to “All I Want for Christmas is You.” The dance, which features Lindsey Sweet who performs beautifully executed ballet turns and poses, changes into a rousing hiphop-jazz number performed by the entire group.  The dancers won the First Place Award in the Older Division in Jacksonville and the Second Place Award in Sherwood. 

The Jacksonville dancers will next perform at Alltel Arena on Dec 22^nd as pre-game and halftime entertainment at the Rimrocker basketball game.  The Jacksonville Dance Company will perform at their first dance competition in mid-January.  The Jacksonville Gymnastics USAG Competitive Team, both boys and girls, will compete this weekend, December 8, 9, and 10^th at the Pepsi Challenge that is being held at Ouachita Baptist University in Arkadelphia.  The team will compete at the following times:  Level Three gymnasts - Friday night at 5:30; Level Four gymnasts - Saturday morning at 8:00; Levels Five and Six  - Saturday at 12:00.  The boys will compete Sunday morning at 8:00; Level Seven girls - Sunday at 9:00 and Level Eight – Ten will compete Sunday at 1:00.

Level Two gymnasts from Mr. Bobby’s recreational classes performed Wednesday night at the Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Cabot and will perform at Woodland Hills Nursing Home in Jacksonville next Wednesday night.

ALL PHOTOS WERE TAKEN BEFORE THE PARADE – DANCE PICTURES WERE TAKEN IN PRACTICE AT THE PARADE SITE BEFORE THE ARRIVAL OF THE JUDGES – I DON’T TRY TO TAKE PICTURES DURING THE PERFORMANCES FOR FEAR OF DISTRACTING THE YOUNG DANCERS.

The youngest dancers from Huff ‘n Puff--the three, four and five-year-olds, danced to “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus” and won the Second Place Performance Award for the Younger Division.  They are shown here as they practiced at 10:30 and awaited the arrival of the judges.  They were all well-layered under their cute costumes and dance tights.  It turned out to be a beautiful sun-shiny day, but the breeze made it chilly!!!!!  

These five and six-year old dancers performed to “Sleigh Ride” and won the First Place Trophy for Younger Division.  They are shown here at their dress rehearsal at the studio on Friday night.  They made quite an impression on the crowds as they made their way on Main Street. 

These “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” Dancers were among the 39 dancers in their group that won the First Place Award in the Sherwood parade.  These dancers are from the Huff ‘n Puff recreational dance and hiphop-cheer classes, and from the Jacksonville Dance Company, as well.

“You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch” is a crowd-pleaser and the dancers, age ten to thirteen, and Mr. Grinch won the Second Place Award in the Older Performance Division of the Jacksonville Parade.  This year, more dancers performed for Huff ‘n Puff in this age bracket than in past years and this photo shows only a few of the dancers.  This group will dance with other HnP groups at Alltel Arena December 22 at the pre-game and half-time ceremonies during the Rimrocker basketball game.

These dancers from the Senior Group of the Jacksonville Dance Company were wrapped  up in blankets and heavy jackets as they awaited the start of the Jacksonville Parade.  They, and other dancers not shown here, performed to “All I Want for Christmas is You” and won the First Place Performance Award in Older Division in Jacksonville Parade and  Second Place in Sherwood. 

Pictured here are some of the preschool gymnasts, ages two to five, and parents who are riding the Huff ‘n Puff Express during the Jacksonville Parade.  Preschool gymnasts and parents have traditionally ridden the Huff ‘n Puff Express float for the last eight parades.