Rupert dancers twirl magic in Prince George

More than 140 Prince Rupert dancers took their talents east recently for the annual Prince George Dance Festival (PGDF) and came back with several trophies and top three finishes as the festival season opens.

The festival ran from March 11-17 and welcomed approximately 60 dancers from Spectrum City Dance and 83 from Dance Academy of Prince Rupert (DAPR).  

It was an experience well worth it for her dancers, said Spectrum artistic director Ella Ferland.

“I think they got that hard work pays off, which is a very valuable thing to learn. And they always learn how to win and sometimes how to lose with grace, because you’re going to do both,” she said.

For DAPR dancers, artistic director and owner Teresa Mackereth said it’s the social aspect that does the students wonders.

“The dancers hang out together after the competition and they go swimming and the parents all hang out and we socialize a lot. It’s sort of a working holiday and I think it builds a bond for students and it’s a reward for all the many, many hours of practice,” she said.

Students have been practicing their routines since September, some even started in August, so festival season brings about a reward for all the hard work.

Nineteen dance schools attended the festival, from as far as Fort St. John and Whitehorse, which meant more competition. In some categories, there were more than 20 people competing. But Rupert dancers still came away with quite a few strong finishes.

Spectrum had 29 groups and of those, 11 got first place finishes, 15 finished in second and six placed third. In solos, Spectrum dancers got 20 firsts, 17 seconds, 12 thirds and two fourths. They also racked up five trophies during the week.

“Because it was such a big competition, that really stands for something,” Ferland said.

As for DAPR, their dancers got 23 first place finishes, 16 second place and 18 third place as well as a few trophies.

“We felt we represented ourselves successfully. We enjoyed the comments from the adjudicators. Their papers had lots of information to help make the performance better,” Mackereth said.

Taylor Jackson, from DAPR, in particular had herself a successful festival. Jackson, 11, was named the most promising dancer for 12 and under. She had two first-place finishes, a second and placed third three times.

From Spectrum, Hannah Graham stood out, with eight top-three finishes, most notably taking first in the Hip Hop Solo, Lyrical Solo and Modern/Contemporary Solo categories.  

Full list of results:

8 years and under

• Large group Jazz, 1^st place — Spectrum

• Large group Jazz, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Demi-Character, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Demi-Character Solo, 1^st place — Fiona Riesen, DAPR

• Large Group Classical Ballet, 1^st place — Spectrum

9 years and under

• Lyrical Solo, 1^st place — Nolan Robinson, Spectrum

• Lyrical Solo, 3^rd place — Tallulah Mackereth, DAPR

• Demi-Character Solo, 1^st place — Misha Pikola, Spectrum

• Demi-Character Solo, 2^nd place — Tallulah Mackereth, DAPR

• Demi-Character Solo, 3^rd place — Nolan Robinson, Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 2^nd place — Jordan Rysstad, Spectrum

• Song & Dance Solo, 1^st place — Alivia Ciccone, DAPR

• Variety Solo, 1^st place — Alivia Ciccone, DAPR

10 years and under

• Classical Ballet, 3^rd place — Anna Nguyen, Spectrum

• Lyrical Solo, 2^nd place — Anna Nguyen, Spectrum

• Large Group Jazz, 1^st place — Spectrum

• Large Group Jazz, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Demi-Character, 1^st place — Spectrum

• Large Group Demi-Character, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Large Group Modern/Contemporary, 1^st place — DAPR

• Large Group Classical Ballet, 1^st place — DAPR

• Small Group Classical Ballet, 1^st place — Spectrum

• Large Group Song & Dance, 1^st place — DAPR

• Large Group Song & Dance, 3^rd place — Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 3^rd place — Anna Nguyen, Spectrum

• Song & Dance Solo, 1^st place — Jyllian Lussier, DAPR

• Large Group Tap, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Large Group Tap, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Small Group Song & Dance, 1^st place — DAPR

• Small Group Tap, 1^st place — DAPR (Trophy awarded)

• Large Group Variety, 1^st place — DAPR

• Large Group Hip Hop, 1^st place — DAPR

• Large Group Hip Hop, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Jazz Duo, 2^nd place — Carina Franes/Gracie Long, DAPR

• Large Group Lyrical, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Large Group Lyrical, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Jazz Solo, 1^st place — Gillian Jardim, Spectrum

• Variety Duo, 2^nd place — Amy Hill/Cassidy Kawaguchi, DAPR

11 years and under

• Lyrical Solo, 3^rd place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

• Demi-Character Solo, 3^rd place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

• Tap Solo, 1^st place — Libby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Song & Dance Solo, 1^st place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

• Variety Solo, 2^nd place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

• Jazz Solo, 3^rd place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

• Classical Ballet Solo, 1^st place — Taylor Jackson, DAPR

12 years and under

• Lyrical Solo, 2^nd place — Nathania-Marie Cam, Spectrum

• Large Group Jazz, 1^st place — Spectrum (Trophy awarded)

• Large Group Jazz, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Classical Ballet, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Small Group Classical Ballet, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 1^st place — Catherine Phuong, Spectrum

• Large Group Tap, 1^st place — Spectrum (Trophy awarded)

• Large Group Variety, 3^rd place — Spectrum

• Variety Solo, 2^nd place — Nathania-Marie Cam, Spectrum

• Acro Solo, 2^nd place — Amy Hill, DAPR

• Large Group Hip Hop, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Jazz Solo, 1^st place — Nathania-Marie Cam, Spectrum

• Large Group Lyrical, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Classical Ballet Solo, 1^st place — Nathania-Marie Cam, Spectrum

13 years years and under

• Jazz solo, 1^st place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR

• Jazz solo, 3^rd place — Zosia Stevenson, Spectrum

• Jazz solo, 4^th place — Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Pointe solo, 1^st place — Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Tap solo, 2^nd place — Zosia Stevenson, Spectrum

• Hip Hop Solo, 2^nd place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR

• Hip Hop Solo, 3^rd place — Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Demi-Character Solo, 1^st place — Zosia Stevenson, Spectrum

• Variety Solo, 2^nd place — Zosia Stevenson, Spectrum

• Classical Ballet Solo, 1^st place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR

• Lyrical Solo, 1^st place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR

• Lyrical Solo, 3^rd place — Zosia Stevenson, Spectrum

• Lyrical Solo, 4^th place — Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

14 years and under

• Jazz solo, 3^rd place — Sarah Overton, Spectrum

• Pointe solo, 2^nd place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Hip Hop Duo, 1^st place — Anna Nguyen/Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Large Group Demi-Character, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Demi-Character, 3^rd place — Spectrum

• Hip Hop Solo, 1^st place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Hip Hop Solo, 2^nd place — Sarah Overton, Spectrum

• Large Group Jazz, 1^st place — DAPR

• Large Group Song & Dance, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Modern/Contemporary Solo, 1^st place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Modern/Contemporary Solo, 2^nd place — Sarah Overton, Spectrum

• Song & Dance Solo, 2^nd place — Lola Clothier, DAPR

• Song & Dance Duo, 1^st place — Karlie Fudger/Lola Clouthier (CHECK), DAPR

• Small Group Song & Dance, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Small Group Modern/Contemporary, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Variety, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Demi-Character Solo, 2^nd place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Small Group Jazz, 1^st place — DAPR

• Classical Ballet Solo, 3^rd place — Anna Nguyen, Spectrum

• Lyrical Solo, 1^st place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

15 years or under

• Demi-Character Solo, 3^rd place — Gianna Evans, DAPR

• Vareity Solo, 1^st place — Gianna Evans, DAPR

• Variety Solo, 3^rd place — Miranda Baker, DAPR

• Classical Ballet Solo, 3^rd place — Hannah Graham, Spectrum

16 years and under

• Pointe solo, 1^st place — Gillian Jardim, Spectrum

• Variety Duo, 1^st place — Gianna Evans/Jade Rothwell, DAPR

• Variety Duo, 2^nd place — Gillian Jardim/Hannah Graham, Spectrum

• Hip Hop Duo, 1^st place — Gianna Evans/Grace Simonds, DAPR

• Large Group Demi-Character, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Large Group Demi-Character, 3^rd place — DAPR

• Large Group Modern/Contemporary, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Hip Hop Solo, 1^st place — Hailey Cox, Spectrum

• Jazz Solo, 2^nd place — Gillian Jardim, Spectrum

• Jazz Solo, 3^rd place — Katrina Duong, Spectrum

• Large Group Modern/Contemporary, 2^nd place — DAPR

• Large Group Jazz, 1^st place — Spectrum (Trophy awarded)

• Large Group Tap, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Large Group Song & Dance, 3^rd place — Spectrum

• Modern/Contemporary Solo, 3^rd place — Bailey Rae, DAPR

• Song & Dance Solo, 3^rd place — Gianna Evans, DAPR

• Large Group Variety, 1^st place — Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 1^st place — Katrina Duong, Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 2^nd place — Kathy Nguyen, Spectrum

• Large Group Hip Hop, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Variety Solo, 1^st place — Gillian Jardim, Spectrum

• Variety Solo, 3^rd place — Piper Clouthier, DAPR

• Lyrical Solo, 1^st place — Gillian Jardim, Spectrum

• Small Group Jazz, 3^rd place — DAPR

17 years and under

• Pointe solo, 2^nd place — Emily Jack, Spectrum

• Modern/Contemporary Solo, 2^nd place — Emily Jack, Spectrum

• Tap Solo, 3^rd place — Tylie Wong, Spectrum

18 years and under

• Acro Duo, 1^st place — Catherine Phuong/Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Acro Solo, 1^st place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR

• Acro Solo, 2^nd place — Ruby Ferlaino, Spectrum

• Acro Solo, 3^rd place — Addie Pottle, DAPR

• Small Group Jazz, 2^nd place — Spectrum

• Classical Ballet Solo, 3^rd place — Karlie Fudger, DAPR