Suburban dances strut their stuff

More than 400 dancers from 11 local studios participated in the third annual Des Plaines Dance Idol Competition Feb. 26 at the Prairie Lakes Theatre.

Dancers from Elk Grove Elite Dance Company, North Shore School of Dance, Buffalo Grove's On Your Toes Academy of Dance, Palatine Dance Company, DanceXpress in Arlington Heights, Dancepiration in Crystal Lake, Spotlight Dance Company in Grayslake, Rolling Meadow Park District, Starland Dance Academy in Deerfield, Urban Beat Dance in Skokie, and Artistry in Motion, the in-house dance company of the Des Plaines Park District, competed in solo, duo/trio and small and large group categories.

Dancers were judged in each of two age divisions: 7-11 and 12-18 years, by three industry professionals: Caitlin Gudat Haywood, choreographer and performer with Chicago Freelance Dance; Noel Powers, a Thodos Dance Chicago scholarship winner; and Jon Sloven, a national choreographer and international performer.

A variety of dance styles and genres were represented, including jazz, tap, ballet, modern, lyrical, musical theater and hip-hop. A winner and first runner-up were awarded in each category.

In the Solo Category, ages 7-11, Calli Taitz, On Your Toes Academy of Dance, won with her interpretation of “Broken Promise.” Mollie Rice, also of On Your Toes, was the runner-up.

In the 12-18 age division of the Solo Category, Meghan Hanrahan of Artistry in Motion won for her modern performance of “The Secret,” and Kim Diebold, also from Artistry, was the runner-up.

“Meghan's intense, complete transformation into character on stage for her solo made the audience believe she was, in fact, a seriously troubled girl, which gave her the winning edge,” said choreographer Cecilia Ferguson-Bell.

In the Duo/Trio Category, ages 7-11, the winners were Nataley Grimmer, Kayla Reeves and Greta Sorensen, from Artistry in Motion for “Sound of Sunshine.” Rachael Foos, Rica Miyake, and Amanda Weil from On Your Toes were the runners-up.

In the 12-18 Age Division, Kim Diebold and Molly Juneau won for their jazz piece, “Tea Party. Artistry in Motion's Musical Theatre piece, “Hound Dog,” performed by Nicole Burgraff and Meghan Hanrahan, tied with Spotlight's “Bye Bye Blackbird,” danced by Jackie Catullo, Jaime Hansen and Lexi Miller for second.

In the Small Group Category, ages 7-11, the winner was “Breakin' Out,” a hip-hop routine performed by the dancers from On Your Toes. The runner-up, “Yeah,” performed by the Starland Dance Academy, was also a hip-hop routine.

In the 12-18 Division, Artistry in Motion's lyrical “Colorblind” and Urban Beat's hip-hop “All About the Ladies” tied for first, and AiM's modern “Open Eyes” was the runner-up.

In the Large Group Category, ages 7-11, On Your Toes swept first and second place with their hip-hop, “Here We Go,” and their ballet, “Spring.” In the final Large Group category, ages 12-18, “Find Another Way to Dance,” performed by Skokie's Urban Beat Dance, was the winner.

In second place, On Your Toes' “Tea Party” tied with their “Untitled” dance and Spotlight's “Brown Derby Jump.”

Two new trophies were awarded this year, one in each age group, for the Overall High Score. The winners were “Here We Go” performed by On Your Toes in the 7-11 age division, and “The Secret,” Modern, performed by Artistry in Motion's Meghan Hanrahan in the 12-18 age division.

All dancers received a participation medal and a plaque for their studio. Melissa Reh, formerly of Chicago Tap Theatre, also chose winners in both age divisions for specialty awards, including style, concept, stage presence, energy, musicality and costuming.

Winners in all categories were invited to perform at the Artistry in Motion Spring Showcase 2011 April 8 and 9 in the Prairie Lakes Theatre.

“We congratulate all the dancers and participating studios at this year's Dance Idol. We believe that while competition is a necessary element of serious dance training, it is only one part of their overall education,” said Nancy Suwalski, cultural arts supervisor for the Des Plaines Park District.

“We strive to expose young dancers to the artistry and beauty of all forms of dance and making dance a lifelong learning experience. We hope to see all of these talented dancers back again next year.”

For details about Artistry in Motion's Spring Showcase: Spring Into Motion, visit DPParks.org or call (847) 391-5711.

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