In its final recital of the summer, The Dalles Dance Club Academy of Performing Arts team put forth a historic performance at the 34th annual Dance Magic this past weekend in Seaside.
The Dance Club dominated every division with first-place finishes, an accomplishment only attained once over the past 22 years under the leadership of dance instructor Kristi Maley.
In addition, Maley was awarded the 2016 Dance Magic Choreography Award for helping lead her advanced division dancers to first place and high score group for their rendition of “Take me to the River.”
It was a humbling moment for Maley to earn such an honor given the level of competition this team faced over two days.
“It is an amazing honor to get the choreography award,” Maley said. “Especially since a couple of the dancers were from professional choreographers that work in Los Angeles and New York. I always try to be creative as possible and spend a lot of time outside of the studio working on choreography, so it is really nice when all your hard work pays off.”
Dancers from The Dalles competed against other programs and performers from across the Northwest Territories in tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop and musical theater.
Maley and her Dance Club dancers have been preparing all year for this last competition, including six weeks this summer.
Maley was even more excited with the outcome, as she had to shuffle a few bodies around due to various reasons.
Missing from the group were Aidan Telles, who was in Long Beach, Calif., at a dance intensive, where he was shooting a video that is supposed to air on television later in the year.
On the same weekend as the dance competition, Lauryn Despain was competing in Oregon’s Distinguished Young Women’s program in Salem.
Crysta Harris was hospitalized for an illness and could not attend, and two others had moved to another state at the end of the school year.
“I had a few people gone for this competition, and it has been tough trying to rearrange the dances,” Maley said. “The kids have to be smart, learn to adjust and make the changes fast in only a week or two. Sometimes I feel it would be easier to do a whole new dance in that short of time, but we have to stay with the same dances because we had to qualify for this competition and that is the rules.”
Jayden Hansen, Sophia Bucher, Jocelyn Olivan, Tygh Timinsky, Mackenzie Barrett, Bridget Donnell and Ava Malcolm received first place in the tap and jazz division, was the highest scoring of the beginner’s classification and added the third-highest score overall.
Hansen also received a judge’s choice award for her efforts.
“Highlights were the beginning group of 7-8 year olds not only winning highest scoring group in the beginner’s division, but also taking third overall,” Maley added.
Tora Timinsky, Hayley Peterson, Vivian Harrah, Ahnikah Rubio, Laurel Kirby, Katelyn Vassar, Allie Masterson, Madison Malcolm, Abbie Canchola and Lola Silva racked up first-place finishes in the tap and jazz division.
Tora Timinsky and Vassar each received first place in their Jazz Duo routine.
Taking first place in the advanced group tap and jazz competition and adding the highest scoring team overall was City Mains, Lorelay Berry, Hannah Kortge, Kamrey Fransen, Elizabeth Olivan, Lola Silva, Vassar and Melina Avila. Berry secured first place in her solo and earned a judge’s choice award for her solo performance.
Mains received judge’s choice honors.
“The intermediate group, who was supposed to compete intermediate, ended up having to compete in the advanced division due to a wedding and the took the highest scoring advanced group,” Maley said.
Jordyn Hattenhauer, Nathan Nanez, Morgan, Gillian Wolf, Browning, Evan Despain and Singhurst added top honors in the tap and jazz classification.
Nanez received judge’s choice award, and the tandem of Morgan and Browning wound up in first place for their jazz arts duo routine.
Rounding out the first-place efforts was the team of Alyssa Donnell, Abby Mains, Jessika Nanez, Sydney Fransen, Madison Richardson, Kendyl Kumm, Abbey Helseth, Tianna Smith, Taylor Sugg and Delaney Schanno, which received first-place recognition in tap and jazz. Sugg received first place for her work in jazz solo and added a judge’s choice award, the team’s fifth of the weekend, a Dance Magic record for the program.
“This has never happened before. This is the most the studio has ever received at one time at a Dance Magic competition,” Maley said.
Added to the countless team awards, Hansen, Berry, Mains, Nanez and Sugg all received individual special awards from the judges for standing out amongst their peers.
“I am so proud of all my dancers,” Maley said. “They go on stage like professionals, and you would not even know how we had so many changes and adjustments.”
DCA classes start the day after Labor Day on Tuesday, Sept. 6 and runs through May for the fall/winter session.
The Dance Club is open for boys and girls from the ages of 3-19 and offers competitive and non-competitive classes.
They are now offering ballet, an all-boys hip hop class for dancers aged 7 and up, as well as tumbling, tap, jazz and cheerleading classes for ages 7-14.
“Dance is great exercise for your mind and body, it builds coordination, self-confidence and life skills,” Maley continued.
All information and registration is at the front desk of The Dalles Fitness and Court Club located on 731 Pomona St. West or contact Maley by email at Kristi.maley@gmail.com.
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