Printer Friendly Version - Westbrook Dance Academy Competition Teams Earn World Championship Bid for 3rd Straight Year

Pictured are Senior Competition team members from the Westbrook Dance Academy: (above) Mara Kelley (Old Saybrook), Miles Waterbury (Clinton), Victoria Holton (Westbrook), Brandi Andrade (Westbrook), Katherine Izadi (Old Saybrook), and Courtney Briggs (Old Saybrook). Pictured again below are Briggs, Holton, Waterbury, Kelley, and Andrade. Photo illustration courtesy of David Russo

The Westbrook Dance Academy’s competition teams participated in the Starpower Talent Regional Competition in March and earned four bids to the World Dance Championship that will take place in August. The Senior Competition team dance, Pandemonium; the Teen Competition team dance, The Heist; the Teen Intermediate team dance, Youth; and the Junior Competition team dance, Bell Hop Boogie, all scored in the top three of their respective age divisions to earn their bids to the World Championship. The students are under the direction of Julie Reed-Russo.

The World Dance Championships will be held this August in New Jersey. Westbrook Dance Academy will compete against dancers that qualified from across the United States, Canada, Australia, Mexico, China, and Great Britain. The Senior, Teen, Junior, and Mini Competition teams competed in the World Dance Championship in 2016. In 2015, the Senior Competition team finished in the final five in the preliminary round to advance to the finals, where it finished third. The Junior Competition team finished eighth.

Senior Competition team members Brandi Andrade and Victoria Holton are from Westbrook, Katherine Izadi, Courtney Briggs and Mara Kelley are from Old Saybrook, and Miles Waterbury is from Clinton. Teen Competition team members Kaylene Koelle, Megan Murphy, and Claire Pease are from Clinton; Alexandra Lee and Sara Kelly are from Madison; and Brooke Dellarocco is from Chester; Teen Intermediate Competition team members Caroline Bowe and Hannah Buess are from Madison, Cori Hofler and Zoie Murphy are from Westbrook, and Alixandria Giannini is from Old Saybrook. Junior Competition team members Gabriella Navarra, Madison Grady, and Sophia Rutkis are from Clinton, and Sylvia Sonenstein is from Madison.

Westbrook Dance Academy offers programs for those aged two to adults at the beginner, advanced, recreational, and competition levels. For info on Westbrook Dance Academy or to register for summer or fall classes, contact 860-664-4308 or westbrookdanceac@aol.com, or visit www.westbrookdanceacademy.com.

Westbrook Dance Academy’s Teen Competition team consists of Megan Murphy (Old Saybrook), Kaylene Koelle (Clinton), Alexandra Lee (Madison), Sara Kelly (Madison), and Brooke Dellarocco (Chester). Photo courtesy of David Russo

Pictured are Teen Intermediate Competition team members Cori Hofler (Westbrook), Alexandria Giannini (Old Saybrook), Hannah Buess (Madison), Zoie Murphy (Westbrook), and Caroline Bowe (Madison). Photo courtesy of David Russo

The Junior Competition team members from Westbrook Dance Academy: Sylvia Sonenstein (Madison), Gabriella Navarra (Clinton), Madison Grady (Clinton), and Sophia Rutkis (Westbrook). Photo courtesy of David Russo