Middletown-based squad competes at prestigious Kids Artistic Revue in Sacramento
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SACRAMENTO >> The Illusion Dance Team from Center Stage Studios of Middletown pulled down big honors March 21-23 during the Kids Artistic Revue (KAR) competition in Sacramento.
Directed by Audrey Showen Lopez, the Illusion Dance Team achieved outstanding results across multiple categories during a three-day competition where more than 600 dance pieces were performed.
In the Primary Jazz Solo (age 13) category, Brynne Berger, an eighth-grader at Middletown Middle School, placed Elite Top First and went on to win Overall Primary Solos First for her jazz solo “I Want to Live Out Loud.” She received a $500 scholarship to a prestigious Hollywood dance intensive.
Hana Seal, a home school student, earned Top First and placed 15th overall in the Intermediate Lyrical Solo (age 15) division for her Spanish-version solo of Celion Dion’s “All By Myself.” She was awarded a scholarship to a renowned dance intensive in New York.
Illusion Dance Team’s Secondary Small Group earned Top First and placed third overall in Secondary Small Groups in the Elite Small School Group Lyrical division (age 15). Illusion’s group also was honored with a Judge’s Choice Award for Beauty and Grace after performing “It’s All Coming Back to Me Now.” The group piece features Seal, Berger, Caelyn Ochs, 18, of Middletown High School, Emily Bullaro, 19, a home school graduate, and Sage Moore, 14, of Middletown High School.
Bullaro, competing in the Senior Jazz Solo (age 19) category, achieved Top Elite First for Senior Secondary Jazz Solos after performing a jazz solo “The Way You Make Me Feel.”
KAR features four competition divisions – primary, secondary, intermediate and elite – based on the skill level of the dancers. Each category has its own technical standards and requirements. The scoring system includes both a caliber-based score against a set standard and overall high-points awards where the top-scoring performances are recognized. Depending on the number of performances, awards can be given for the top five, top 10 or top 15 highest scores.
Center Stage Studios is owned by Jeanette Marchais. Showen Lopez served as the choreographer for all the pieces performed by the Illusion Dance Team in Sacramento.
“As a 2017 graduate of Middletown High and a former NCAA Division I dance team member at Sacramento State, I’m passionate about guiding young dancers to reach their full potential. My journey began at my mother’s dance studio in Cobb Mountain, and after its closure, I trained at Lakeport Dance Center before pursuing a social science degree with a minor in dance at Sacramento State University.”
Added Showen Lopez, “We are so proud of our dancers’ hard work and achievements at this prestigious competition. It’s a testament to the dedication and talent of our team, and we look forward to continuing to showcase their passion and skill in future performances such as the Lake County Dance Festival (April 11) put on by the Lake County Arts Council, and our own Spring Showcase in May.”