Niagara’s Best Dance Crew Competition
Cardinal Newman dancers wowed the audience and judges at the Scotiabank Centre in Niagara Falls with their remarkable talent. The team took part in Niagara’s Best Dance Crew on April 3. This is the only secondary school dance competition in the Niagara region.
Dancers competed in genre-specific categories, such as jazz, hip hop, and contemporary. The categories were organized according to group size and were also distinguished by experience, using the term “newbie” as many groups consisted of dancers who do not have competitive dance background.
With 27 secondary schools attending, Newman faced some tough competition. The performance experience of many Newman dancers stems solely from their high school dance courses. A number of competitive dancers also contribute their style and experience to the team, creating a unique dynamic. Four-year team member, Kiera McSorley, explained what stood out to her at the event; “Having the chance to dance with my closest friends and bonding over our accomplishments made the day memorable and was a reminder of why I am so passionate about dancing,” the Grade 12 student said. Positive and supportive energy filled the theatre as the students cheered each other on. The passion and grace was evident in each one of Newman’s performances. All of the competitors put their heart and soul into their dances, which paid off.
The team certainly did not leave empty-handed; they received many medals, trophies, and scholarships. Both the hip hop and small contemporary teams placed High Gold and the large contemporary team earned a Platinum award. The Newman dance team was also impressively named “Niagara’s Best Newbie Dance Crew 2017” based on their overall high score. “All the hard work throughout the year was definitely worth it, because the long hours we put into our dances was displayed on stage,” says Madison Ban, a Grade 11 student and dance team member. “I can’t wait to bring our performance to the next level at the upcoming competitions.” Despite the success, the team was thankful for the experience, which will prepare members for future competitions.
The team left the competition ecstatic, and gave thanks to teacher and choreographer Andrea Ferroni and assistant Amanda Garzo who helped make the success possible.