Palatine Dance Students Receive Scholarships at Des Plaines Park District's Dance Idol

Des Plaines Park District hosted the 10th Dance Idol Competition and Convention at the Prairie Lakes Community Center, 515 E. Thacker Street, in Des Plaines from February 2-4. The event featured two full days of competition with over 320 entries, followed by a Sunday full of convention classes for students.

As part of the convention, dancers participate in a day of master class workshops where they can enhance their skills and learn new techniques. On Sunday, February 4, three Palatine company dancers earned scholarships for summer intensives with two dance companies. Company dancers Morgan Allord and Reese Reuter received a scholarship from jorsTAP Chicago, and Kyra Hayes received one from Inaside Dance Chicago.

"We could not be more proud of our dancers," said Dance Coordinator Becky Lugovsky. "They danced their hearts out and it was a thrill to watch them shine on that stage."

The competition results for Palatine Dance Company were as follows:

• "Ding! Dong! The Witch is Dead!" by Mini Company, Silver - First in Category, Judge's Specialty Award for Outstanding Costumes

• "Daft Punk" by Junior Company, Silver - Third in Category

• "Beat It" by Junior Company, Silver - Tenth Place Overall High Score

• "Heartache Tonight" by Intermediate Company, Silver

• "My Strongest Suit" by Intermediate Company, Silver - Second in Category

• "Knock on Wood" by Teen Company, Bronze

• "Leader of the Band" by Teen Company, Bronze - Third in Category

• "Sound of Silence" by Senior Company, Bronze - Second in Category

• "It's Not Unusual" by Senior Company, Silver - Third in Category

• "Crazy in Love" (Solo) by Leah Bradley, Bronze - Third in Category

• "Dear Theodosia" (Duet) by Lauren Ovcina and Lorna Runge, Silver - Third in Category

• "I'm Not the Only One" (Duet) by Alyssa Conner and Delaney Morse, Bronze - First in Category

• "Smooth Criminal" (Duet) by Reese Danzer and Erin Piper, Bronze - Second in Category

• "Here Comes the Sun" (Duet) by Gwen Jones and Katie Larson, Bronze - Second in Category

Palatine Dance Company is designed to provide an outlet for all aspiring young participants to learn and grow by performing in a variety of venues, including community events, annual recitals, and dance competitions such as Dance Idol. For more information about the Palatine Dance program, visit palatinedance.org. Palatine Dance is a program of Palatine Park District.

The mission of Palatine Park District is to provide a variety of safe, enjoyable, and affordable parks, programs, and recreational facilities that will enhance the quality of life by promoting good health and well-being for all residents and visitors while being fiscally responsible stewards of community assets and tax dollars.