The Eight and Under performers are shown here.  Left to right - Adaline, Landree, Kaylee, Lianna and Aubrey.  Four of the above dancers are also Jax Gym Competitors.  So proud of them for their dance skills though. 

Aubrey Hague competed her lyrical solo to "Head Above Water" in the 7-8 year Intermediate category.  Aubrey was awarded a Double Diamond, Lyrical Category Cup Winner, Seventh Place photogenic and won First Overall.  Aubrey also competes Jax Gym and won the Level Four State Championship for her age.  This photo was from a previous competition.

Kaylee Pelkey performed her lyrical solo to "My Always" in the seven-eight Novice Category  and received a Double Diamond award and placed Tenth in the Overall out of 24 entries.  This photo was from a previous competition.  Kaylee placed first in the photogenic competition.

Lianna Overholser competed her lyrical performance to "Only Hope" in the seven-eight novice category and received a Double Diamond, placed Fourth in Top Entertainer, Fourth in Overall out of 24 entries.  She also placed Fourth in photogenic competition for her age group.  Lianna also competes Jax Gym but had been out of dance and gym for about six weeks due to a broken pinkie finger (from falling off chair in home accident) and required to have surgery to put two pins in her finger.  We are so happy to have her back!  Photo is from prior competition.

Jacksonville Dance Company (JDC) competed this weekend (April 22-23-24-25) in the large Talent on Parade Regional Competition which was held in Branson, Missouri ,and took home many top honors.  The dancers age in range from four to 17 and compete in three levels of competition--novice, intermediate and competitive.   The ages may be averaged as the levels of the dancers may also be averaged.  Levels are determined by how many hours a week of class that a dancer attends.  The JDC entered 41 acts in this competition.  Director of Dance, Lois Overholser, and Rachel Wyrick are the instructors for the Dance Company and most of the performances are choreographed by them, and a few of the numbers were choreographed by other out of state or local dancers or instructors.  

All of us at Huff 'n Puff are so very proud of our Dance Company.  The Company has just continued to be better each year and it is so much fun to see these dancers, some of whom we have known since they were three and four years old, competing and winning top placements.  It is due to the hard work of the dancers and their instructors that they are such a credit to the business.    

Most of the levels of competition and ages are the same from competition to competition, but each competition has its own award system - Talent on Parade uses Elite, Diamond and Double Diamond for their award system.  Judges Choice Awards are sometimes given; category cup winner means that the performance was deemed the top (by the scores) of the category of dance -to win a category cup, there must have been three performances in that genre and age of performers.  And then placements awards are given for the level (novice, intermediate or competitive) by age.  A jazz performance may have competed against a lyrical in the same age and levels.  Those placements are very special.

The Talent on Parade Competition began early Thursday morning with six and under dancers competing in the Novice Category.  Adaline Trent, our very youngest performer, at only four years old, competed her lyrical performance to "Colors of the Wind." Adaline received a Diamond award, a Judges Choice Award for "AdorableAct" and placed third in the overall performances of all six and under novice performances .  Adaline also placed third in the photogenic awards for her age bracket.  Adaline also competes for Jax Gym.  This photo is from a prior competition.

PROUD IS HARDLY THE WORD - JACKSONVILLE DANCE COMPANY WON THE STUDIO TECHNIQUE AWARD FOR THE SECOND COMPETITION THIS YEAR - To win that at Talent on Parade Competition is just the biggest!!!!!  Way to go Ms. Lois, Ms. Rachel and Mr. Kristof.  This award at TOP was for the thirteen and above dancers.  

Landree Malloy, shown left in previous competition, competed her lyrical performance in the six and under Novice category  to "Rainbow" and received a Diamond and placed Fifth in Overall.  Landree also competes in Jax Gym.

Hayes and Lily are shown here left with their awards in the nine-ten intermediate category.  Fantastic work, young ladies.

Competing in the nine-ten Intermediate category were Hayes McMahan and Lily Overholser

Hayes McMahan competed her acrobatic performance to "I Put a Spell on You" and was awarded a Double Diamond, TOP Dance Directive Scholarship Winner and placed Second Overall out of 20 performances.  All of the on-stage action photos are from a previous competition. 

Lily Overholser competed her contemporary solo to "Angel by the Wing" and was awarded a Double Diamond.  She was the Contemporary Category Cup  Winner, Sixth-Place Top Entertainer, Second place photogenic and First Overall out of 20 performances.  Lily also competes Jax Gym Level Six.