Competitions showcase Pleasant Grove dancers' skills
At the competition, more than 30 studios competed from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. at Bountiful's Viewmont High School, said Chelsey Befus, dance instructor and owner of Jazz'n Place in Pleasant Grove.
"(It was) three days of nonstop competition," she said.
Competitions give the dancers a way to showcase and perfect their talent and to see how they rate against other studios.
"It's really a way of life for them and their families," said Joe Walker, Spotlight general manager.
"They take it seriously. They spend a lot of time in rehearsals and classes," he said.
The effort paid off for two Pleasant Grove dance studios, Jazz'n Place and Hot Shots Dance Studio. Jazz'n Place placed in the top four in the team large group category, reserved for groups of 10 to 16 dancers.
The school also took first, second and third in the senior small group category.
Hot Shots took third and fourth in the teen small group category.
"(Competing) gets the jitters out," dance instructor Anne Weichers said. "We really like (the Thanksgiving Point) competition. It builds self-esteem."
Weichers brought 110 dancers from the American Expression of Dance school in Draper. The contest gives dancers, from beginning to professional, criticism and stage experience, she said.
While some competitions elicit rough criticism from judges, the Thanksgiving Point championship takes a more positive approach. The variety of styles give dancers a chance to find their own niche, she said.
Pleasant Grove dancers Lacey Derrick, Cynthia Jackson, and Whitney Bezzant took first, second and third respectively in the overall pro dance solo category. Befus' studio won the overall championships in novice, advance and professional.
Hot Shots, directed by Colleen Bills, won in the company category, said Greg Tucker, executive director of America On Stage.
The competition is intended as a fast-paced, low-stress event with dancers being judged and getting their trophies within a half hour of performing, Tucker said. Everyone who danced walked away with an award.
"This is the No. 1, our favorite by far," instructor Monica Wright of Elko, Nev., said of the competition.
She brought 23 dancers to this year's event.
Dancers pay a registration fee ranging from $10 to $110, Tucker said. When registration fees total more than $200 the school gets a studio trophy to display their awards. If their fees total less than $200 they get a plaque to mount their awards.
This year all of the studios received the studio trophy, he said.
E-mail: rodger@desnews.com
