Printer Friendly Version - The Dance Corner Performs Well at Several Regional Competitions, Earns Bid to World Championship

Pictured from the Dance Corner are (back row) Abigail Marciniec (Haddam), Ava Frost (Deep River), Gillian Miller (killingworth), Alexandra Shea (Ivoryton), Sarah Gaetano (Clinton), and Dance Corner choreographer and instructor Brooke Cotter (Killingworth); along with Audrey Board (Deep River), Sophie Winikur (Haddam), and Sela Rathe (Madison). Missing from the photo is fellow team member Hannah Schilling of Westbrook. Photo courtesy of Carrie Smith

Several local dancers competed in a number of regional dance competitions while representing The Dance Corner of Killingworth this spring.

Competing against schools from across the Northeast, The Dance Corner’s athletes took home a number of awards this season, most notably the team’s achievements at the Starpower Regional Talent Competition in Hartford in March. The Dance Corner Company competed against more than 500 entrants at the competition. Its Junior Tap Company’s performance of Rich Girls that was choreographed by Killingworth resident Brooke Cotter, a Dance Corner graduate who is now and instructor and choreographer, won the title of regional champions. The performance of Rich Girls received five stars in the All-Star Division, was first overall in the Intermediate 9-11 Small Group, and won the judges award, Bling Bling Cha-Ching. Also, Cotter was honored with the Choreography Award. Most notably, the group received an invitation to World Dance Championship at the Meadowlands in August, and will be attending with hopes of being named world dance champions.

The Dancers in Rich Girls are Audrey Board (of Deep River), Ava Frost (Deep River), Sarah Gaetano (Clinton), Abigail Marciniec (Haddam), Gillian Miller (Killingworth), Sela Rathe (Madison), Alexandra Shea (Ivoryton), Hannah Schilling (Westbrook), and Sophie Winikur (Haddam).

“To be selected out of the extraordinary pool of talent we saw at Starpower for the World Dance Championships is amazing,” studio director Carrie Smith said. “This group of dancers and their exceptional teacher worked long and hard this year to make this dance great, and I am so pleased that the judges recognized the hard work and talent in these dancers and their choreographer.”

Along with being named a grand champion with their group dances, Olivia Papa of Madison and Hannah Schilling of Westbrook also earned high marks for their lyrical duo Don’t Worry About Me that was choreographed by Nicole Peterson. They earned five stars in the All-Star Division and were awarded first overall for Intermediate Teen Duo, as well as an invitation to the Power Pack Tour. Dancers Mary Darin (Killingworth), Theresa Pasqualini (Killingworth), and Grace Pendleton (Clinton) were also given invitations to Power Pack for their incredible performances.

The Dance Corner’s Powell Company dancers, who the youngest competitors in the company, performed a dance Mama I’m a Big Girl Now at Starpower that was choreographed by Alison Hammell, and earned 4 and ¾ stars. They placed tops overall in the age 8-U Duo/Trio Star Division. Also at the Starpower Regionals, the Junior Jazz Company dance Hello Bollywood received the Entertainment Award, and Production Company dance A Night at the Art Museum received a High Platinum Award. Teen Lyrical group Something in the Water also placed first in its division and category and was awarded a bid to the World Dance Championships. Teen Tap group Yin & Yang received five stars, was first in category, and second overall for the Intermediate 12-14 Teen Large Group, additionally earning The Dance Corner a third invitation to World Dance Championships.

Previously, at the OnStage America Regional Competition in Springfield, Massachusetts in early MAarch, The Dance Corner received a Platinum Award and a third-place overall Intermediate Teen Small Group Award for the jazz dance Don’t Rain on My Parade that was choreographed by Savanna Bodnar and performed by the Reinking Company dancers in Rachel Delvecchio (Killingworth), Nicole Grief (Deep River), Katie McGoey (Killingworth), Grace Murphy (Killingworth), Rathe, Sarah Ratzlaff (Killingworth), and Schilling. Also at OnStage America, the Rogers Jazz Company comprised of Zoe Balkan (Madison), Board, Frost, Gaetano, Marciniec, Miller, Madison Moriarty (Higganum), Shea, and Winikur earned a Platinum and fourth-place overall in the Intermediate Junior Small Group Division for their dance Hello Bollywood that was choreographed by Peter Son.

The Dance Corner’s senior soloists did very well at the OnStage America regional competition. Grace Pendleton of Clinton received a High Platinum Award and first-place Intermediate Teen Solo Award, as well as a scholarship and an invitation to perform at their National Championships for her solo UpSide Down that was choreographed by Samantha Hermann. Sisters Olivia and Samantha Dunsmore of Madison earned a Platinum Award and a third-place award in Intermediate Teen Duos and Trios for their lyrical duo Earth Song that was choreographed by Samantha Hermann, while Samantha Dunsmore received second in Intermediate Teen Solo for her solo Happy that was choreographed by Savanna Bodnar. Darin and Erin LoMonaco of Chester both received third in their respective categories. The Dance Corner duos were the big winners in Springfield. Can’t Stop the Feelin by DelVecchio and Kayla Pellegrini (Clinton, took home a High Platinum Award and first-place Intermediate Teen Duo/Trio honor for their tap duo that was choreographed by Brooke Cotter. Additionally, Pendleton and Emily Bachand (Ivoryton) received a High Platinum and first-place award for Intermediate Junior Duo/Trio, for their lyrical duo Count on Me that was choreographed by Nicole Peterson.

These are only a few of the awards The Dance Corner received this season. Dancers in The Dance Corner Company train and compete under the direction of Carrie Smith, as well as The Dance Corner instructors and choreographers Savanna Bodnar, Brooke Cotter, Alison Hammell, Samantha Hermann, and Nicole Peterson.

The Dance Corner Company is Chloe Alsback, Katie Alsback, Emily Bachand, Zoe Balkan, Audrey Board, Mary Darin, Rachel Delvecchio, Olivia Dunsmore, Samantha Dunsmore, Ava Frost, Sarah Gaetano, Nicole Grief, Heather Kenney, Erin LoMonaco, Cameryn Ludwin, Abigail Marciniec, Katie McGoey, Gillian Miller, Madison Moriarty, Grace Murphy, Olivia Papa, Theresa Pasqualini, Kayla Pellegrini, Grace Pendleton, Sela Rathe, Sarah Ratzlaff, Katie Roberts, Hannah Schilling, Alexandra Shea, Maev Webster, and Sophie Winikur.

The Dance Corner welcomes students of any age or level to take a free trial dance class. The studio is currently accepting summer class and camp registrations and fall class registrations. For info, visit TheDanceCorner.com.