Local academy wins 48 placements in dance festival

Dance Academy of Prince Rupert made the right step forward by receiving more than 48 award placements in the 2021 Prince George Dance Festival held from March 20 to 26.

This year’s dance festival had studios competing virtually by sending in videos of those vying for the championships, after the vast disappointment of the 11th-hour pandemic cancellation of the 2020 competition.

The local school was on pointe and brought home seven first-place awards, eight second-place, and five third-place prizes in the solo and duo dance categories. Awards in the group categories saw 14 firsts, 11 seconds, and three third places.

Meghan MacRae dance instructor at the academy said students have been working since September to prepare for the competition and overcame lots of challenges. The new digital format, recycling choreography, costumes, and videos and editing had many new skills being learned.

In-studio dance lessons and practices shut down in the wake of COVID-19 restrictions and left the students victims of an early curtain call by having to find ways to stay practised during the year.

MacRae said teachers taught online from their living rooms for the duration of the lockdown, with some recreational dance camps starting back up during the summer. In-studio time opened up again in Sept. but students still could not attend competitions in person, so sent dances in virtually.

“Spectators could enjoy each performance and adjudication every day of the festival,” MacRae said. “Dancers received a live Zoom adjudication after each solo session.

Being the first year the dance academy has participated in a virtual competition was very different, the instructor said.

“It was different, but it was a positive thing to learn new skills,” she said. “It brought us together to overcome the challenges, and we’re grateful to be able to dance in a safe environment with the dancers being happy to perform.”

See the full list of winners as presented by Dance Academy of Prince Rupert below:

Solos and Duos:

Karlie Fudger - Classical Ballet solo 17 years and Under - 1st

Karlie Fudger - Acro solo 18 years and under - 1st

Karlie Fudger - Lyrical solo 17 years and under - 3rd

Karlie Fudger - Tap solo 18 years and Under - 2nd

Karlie Fudger - Jazz solo 17 years and under - 2nd

Karlie and Laura Fudger - Lyrical duo 18 years and under - 1st

Karlie Fudger and Taylor Jackson - Classical Ballet Duo 18 years and under- 1st

Taylor Jackson - Modern solo 15 years and Under - 1st

Taylor Jackson - En Pointe solo 15 years and Under - 3rd

Taylor Jackson - Jazz solo 15 years and Under - 1st

Taylor Jackson - Contemporary solo 15 years and under - 2nd

Taylor Jackson - Variety solo 15 years and under - 2nd

Taylor Jackson - Lyrical solo 15 years and under - 2nd

Taylor and Kaia Jackson - Jazz duo 18 years and under - 1st

Keira Gurszki - Hip Hop solo 14 years and under - 3rd

Keira Gurszki - Jazz solo 14 years and Under - 3rd

Zoe McCoy - Variety solo 14 years and under - 2nd

Gracie Long and Sydnee Garabed - Tap Duo 14 years and under - 2nd

Mikayla Calder-Carpenter and Taliyah Spencer - Tap Duo 16 years and under - 3rd

Mikarly Calder-Carpenter and Taliyah Spencer - Lyrical Duo 16 years and under - 2nd

Groups:

Unstoppable - Small Lyrical Group 14 years and under - 2nd

The World Is Small - Large Lyrical Group 14 years and under - 1st

To Love You More - Small Lyrical Group 16 years and under - 1st

Boom! Shake the Room - Large Hip Hop Group 10 years and under - 2nd

R’n’B Junkie - Small Hip Hop Group 14 years and under - 1st

Banji - Small Hip Hop Group 14 years and under - 2nd

Nasty - Small Hip Hip Group 16 years and under - 2nd

Wind It Up - Large Acro Group 12 years and under - 1st

Beats Antique - Small Acro Group 18 years and under - 2nd

Connections - Large Modern Group 14 years and under - 2nd

Paradise Lost - Small Modern Group 16 years and under - 1st

Voices - Large Contemporary Ballet Group 14 years and under - 1st

Come Fly With Me - Small Tap Group 10 years and under - 2nd

Some Nights - Small Tap Group 14 years and under - 2nd

Domino - Small Jazz group 8 years and under - 3rd

Break Free - Large Jazz Group 10 years and under - 2nd

Umbrella - Small Jazz Group 14 years and under - 1st

Feel It Still - Small Jazz Group 14 years and under - 3rd

Eat. Sleep. Rave. Repeat. - Large Jazz Group 14 years and under - 1st

Song for Sienna - Large Classical Ballet Group 14 years and under - 2nd

Bluebird - Large Classical Ballet Group 14 years and under - 3rd

The Shoemaker and the Elves - Large Demi Character Group 8 years and under - 1st

Popcorn - Large Demi Character Group 10 years and under - 1st

Follow the Yellow Brick Road - Large Demi Character Group 14 years and under - 3rd

Suits - Small Variety Group 14 years and under - 1st

Purple People Eater - Large Variety Group 12 years and under - 2nd

You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile - Small Song and Dance Group 12 years and under - 1st

Coffee Break - Large Song and Dance Group 14 years and under - 1st

Medley from the Little Mermaid - Video Production 12 years and under - 1st

Trophies:

Karlie Fudger - Acrobatic solo 18 years and under trophy

Karlie Fudger - Classical Ballet Solo 18 years and under trophy

Karlie and Laura Fudger - Lyrical duo 18 years and under trophy

Karlie Fudger and Taylor Jackson - Classic Ballet Duo 18 years and under trophy

Taylor Jackson - Modern Solo 15 years and under trophy

Taylor Jackson - Jazz Solo 15 years and under, The Katrina Schuster Memorial trophy

Taylor and Kaia Jackson - Jazz Duo 18 years and under trophy

Wind It Up - Large Acro Group 12 and under trophy

To Love You More - Large Lyrical Group 18 and Under trophy

Paradise Lost - Small Modern Group 18 years and under trophy

Coffee Break - Large Song and Dance Group 18 years and under trophy

Suits - Small Variety Group 18 years and under trophy

Umbrella - Small Jazz Group 18 years and under trophy

You’re Never Fully Dressed Without a Smile - Small Song and Dance Group 12 years and under trophy

Awards:

Taylor Jackson - Outstanding Modern/Contemporary Performance – 13-18 Years Excalibur Theatre Arts Trophy and Scholarship

Taylor Jackson - Modern Provincial delegate merited participant for Modern

Karlie and Laura Fudger - Outstanding Stage Duo Scholarship Open Age Art In Motion Scholarship

Paradise Lost - Small modern Group - Most Memorable Performance The Kindermann Family Trophy and Scholarship