CR DanceXtreme’s competitive dance program, known as Showteam, has been busy this season traveling throughout B.C. and the U.S. competing and performing their 2017 competitive dances.
Showteam consists of 50 dancers, ranging from the ages of 7 to 18, who train for more than 20 hours a week in a variety of styles, including ballet, tap, hip hop, jazz, pointe and modern. This year, the dancers have competed in three competitions and have attended two dance conventions.
The team travelled to Vancouver, B.C., and Vancouver, Washington, where they attended the Velocity Dance Convention and Competition and the Tremaine Dance Convention &Competition. These U.S.- based conventions bring in choreographers and educators from Los Angeles who are well established in the industry. These instructors train and offer classes in various styles of dance while educating the teachers and parents in workshops as well. Tremaine Dance Convention holds a special place in the hearts of CR DanceXtreme owners Shawna Sloan and Buddy Mynatt. They met back in 1996 in Los Angeles on a one year dance scholarship at Tremaine Dance Center!
At the Velocity Convention, five CR DanceXtreme soloists and one duet competed. All were awarded with High Gold medals. The whole Showteam competed 14 routines in Vancouver, Washington at the Tremaine Convention and placed in every routine with a total of four second place awards, and 10 first place awards. Their senior hip hop entry, Gladiators, also won the Showmanship Award, which recognizes outstanding stage presence and performance.
Most recently in Burnaby, B.C., the Showteam competed in all their routines against elite competition at Dance Power. Not only did they hold their own, they won several divisions and categories against Vancouver’s finest dance studios. Showteam finished with 13 first place finishes, a choreography award, and top overall scores for Taylor Carson’s jazz solo and a lyrical duet by Emma Voltera and Cohan Caflisch.
“Taking our kids off the Island and having them surrounded by great talent from other dance studios is what truly motivates them to work harder in their pursuit of a high placement,” Sloan said. “It also encourages them to strive to be better dancers when they see kids their age with great foundation and stage presence.”
CR DanceXtreme’s Showteam have a few more competitions to attend this season and they are hoping for more success. Both Sloan and Mynatt are proud to have such a talented group of young dancers representing Campbell River and look forward to what the rest of the season has to offer.