A young group of Dutch dancers places at the World Dance Championships
It was a hectic, high-energy sequence full of twists, shouts and jumps, accompanied by the cacophony of an exuberant audience.
And that was after the actual performance.
The eight-member crew was so proud of their placement in the competition and “squealed with excitement” when the results were announced, said dance coach Cherilyn Raab.
Of course, the fact that they are small children also contributed to this joy. It was quite an octave in both senses of the word.
And that’s understandable after this group of local girls placed 10th in the 7-9 age group at the World Dance Championships in New Jersey earlier this month.
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“One of the highlights was the moment when the girls left the stage,” said Maile Pikul-Kleban, who created their two-minute choreography. “They had the most beaming faces, and some were even crying, and it was just pure joy.”
The group performed a jazz number called “Girl in the Mirror” that impressed the judges – and the audience at the Meadowlands Exposition Center – and beat a field that included dance teams from China and Australia.
“I’m incredibly proud of them,” said Raab, who runs Cherilyn’s School of Dance, a Pleasant Valley studio where the children train. “Whether they win or lose, I’m proud because it’s about the work they put in and how their skills are improving. But to do so well in a global competition is incredible and justifies all their efforts.”
Addison Aylward-Vreeland and Juliet Mollica took first and second place, respectively, for their jazz solo performances at a national dance championship in July leading up to this event. These dance dynamos were joined this time by their teammates Faye Grover, Annabella Davis, Parker Fitzpatrick, Averie Leser, Kenley Miller and Erica Paterson.
This group, nicknamed “The Pearls”, had also qualified for the World Dance Championships last year and, as Aylward-Vreeland stressed, were confident going into this tournament because of their experience.
“It’s pretty impressive for such an inexperienced team to make it to the World Championships twice,” Pikul-Kleban said of the octet that only came together last year. “They didn’t place the first time, but they got a scholarship to continue their dance training.”
This training includes exercise routines to improve strength and flexibility, as well as practice sessions and rehearsals with an emphasis on jazz technique.
To qualify for the world tournament, a unit must earn the highest score in its division at a regional championship, and this group secured that spot in March. Other groups representing the dance studio also qualified, including “The Nightmare,” a group of 7-16-year-olds, and “Blackbird,” who competed in the 11-13 age group. The Pearls also performed a “Barbie World” number at the world championships.
The group members continued to work on their individual routines for the solo performances that were coming up at that time. But there were always hours and days set aside for ensemble preparation, which intensified over the summer, Raab said.
“They danced ‘Girl in the Mirror’ nearly 100 times with full commitment before taking the stage at the World Championships,” said Pikul-Kleban, explaining that a “full result” is a complete and almost flawless performance in unison.
“As a coach, the greatest gift is to be able to support these dancers and not only help them dream, but also learn how to achieve their dreams,” she continued. “To have this performance on such a special stage is a dream come true.”
Stephen Haynes: [email protected]; 845-437-4826; Twitter: @StephenHaynes4
