ATHLETICS
MAC Wins First in Dance Choreography Competition
F
or the past three years, the MAC Elite dancers have entered student- choreographed pieces in the annual Weiler Choreography Competition held at the Columbia Dance Center in Vancouver, Wash. This year, MAC entered five different student-choreographed dances, with 11 participating MAC dancers, at the event in February. The 2010 first-place prize was awarded
to MAC Elite dancer Kelly Ramis. For her outstanding choreography, Ramis earned a $500 award, the admiration of the three professional dance judges, and the accolades of the audience, her fellow MAC dancers, and the MAC dance teachers. The Weiler choreography competition is open only to student choreographers, and the choreography must be the work of one person. The judges analyze the choreogra- pher’s creativity in the use of space, and the dancers’ movements, patterns, musicality, and stylistic consistency. Dance Supervisor Laura Haney encourages the MAC Elite dancers to create their own choreography to further their artistic skills and overall dance education.
The five MAC dances entered in the choreography competition included
Ramis’ contemporary piece, Dance La Fin,
which featured Anna Dickson, Courtney Sprouse, Hailey Burt, Jillian Niedermeyer, Lara Evans, Lucia Webb, Natalie Press, Sarah Gish and Sydney Mesher. Ramis worked many hours creating her original choreography, rehearsing the dancers, and securing matching attire for each dancer. She choreographed an elegant dance based in contemporary technique, with ballet- inspired lines and interesting, precise hand and body motions.
First-time choreographer Eric Stucky created a lively tap duo, Smooth, featuring the music of Michael Jackson, which he performed with William Worley. First-time choreographer Webb performed a lovely
contemporary solo, Set the Fire. Returning
choreographers Dickson and Mesher also entered solo dances. Dickson performed a
fast-paced jazz solo, Home is Where it Hurts,
and Mesher performed a graceful lyrical solo,
Eleven of MAC’s Elite dancers proudly displayed their talents at this year’s Weiler Choreography Competition, and received support from the group’s remaining dancers. Back row from left are Kyra DeStephano, Lizzie Allcock, Lucia Webb, Kelly Ramis, Courtney Sprouse, Lara Evans, Jillian Niedermeyer and William Worley; front row from left are Eric Stucky, Hailey Burt, Natalie Press, Anna Dickson, Sydney Mesher and Sarah Gish. Not pictured: Ava Vossoughi.
Eighteenth Floor Balcony. Both the audience
and the judges uniformly praised the quality and originality of the MAC dancers.
MAC dancers sweep regional competition
The MAC Elite dancers participated
with 13 other Northwest dance studios in a regional dance competition hosted by the American Dance Awards on March 7. The MAC dancers performed eight pieces, and all eight received the highest awards, ultimate gold (referred to as platinum at other compe- titions), from the four dance judges. Only two participating studios, MAC and Groove Nation from Vancouver, Wash., received the highest level scores for every dance entered. The MAC Elite performers were Lizzie
Allcock, Hailey Burt, Kyra DeStephano, Dickson, Sarah Gish, Mesher, Jillian Niedermeyer, Press, Ramis, Sprouse, Stucky, Ava Vossoughi, Webb and Worley. Lara Evans was unable to perform due to an ankle
injury but enthusiastically cheered on her teammates from the audience. In addition to the high scores for each dances, MAC won at least 11 different special recognition awards, including three of the six judges’ awards for the top group choreographers. The judges’ diamond choreography awards were given to MAC choreographers Sarah Shell, for the small group jazz dance, Comfort Me; Bethany Reisberg, for the large group tap dance, Night Train; and Mari Nakama for the large group hip hop dance, Speaker, Speaker, which also received a special judge’s award recog- nizing the group’s outstanding stage energy. The small group jazz dance Comfort Me received the third highest score for all of the dances in the age 12 and older category. Complete details for all of the awards are posted on the Elite competitive dancers page on the MAC website. For more information, call 503-23-6251, ext. 544 or go to
theMAC.com.
–Kathy Dodds WM
MAY 2010 | The Wınged M | 39
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