Troupe Saturdays

Yesterday was our big troupe day with all the troupes performing during one session. Big day, lots of changes and lots of running around... but honestly so much easier when it's all done at once.

First up we had the girls lyrical troupe (Missing the Mark by Aquilo) which is one of my favourite dances they have ever done. I get emotional every time Maddie is lifted high above the other girls near the end, it's just so pretty! They were awarded second place for it.

Our troupe girls ❤

Next up - Contemporary troupe performing to Take it to the heart by Odette, getting them another second place... notice a trend anyone? 

They have been dancing so well together, so it's really wonderful to see them scoring so well in comps.

Last dance for the day was their Jazz Troupe - with those damn raincoats one last time... thank goodness we can retire them now, we all hate them with a passion haha. 

How about that, another second place! Imagine that.

Their jazz troupe has a few extra people, which makes it a lot more fun on stage, there was a lot of laughs backstage beforehand. They love to mess about and make noise.

Our favourite girls with Miss Amelie, who has choreographed all these dances and been here with the troupes for a long time now. We are so grateful for her, she is seriously the best.

Maddie also had our friend Ari from church come along to watch her which was the actual best. She is a dancer as well and I know Maddie really looks up to her and loved having here there.

Of course dance comps just aren't normal without these three causing a ruckus. They laugh and laugh and laugh. I am so glad we have such a wonderful bunch from being a part of dancing. ❤

 

Dancing with your bestie

It's October school holidays, which means it's time for these besties to be on stage together again. They love sharing the stage and are always so beautifully in sync. They are truly a joy to watch. The last few days have been a whirlwind of costumes for their duos and Madeline's solo.

They nailed their own choreography duo and took out first place which they were super excited about.

WOO!

Maddie's victory was made that much sweeter by her teacher Mrs Hart turning up to watch their duo. She is so lovely! I don't know many teachers who would go out of their way to go to a dance competition in the school holidays!

You could not wipe the smile off of this girls face when she came away with an Honorable Mention (4th place) for her lyrical solo... She has worked so hard for it and I am so proud of her. I love watching her on stage. Nothing else matters to her.

So grateful for her beautiful dance teacher Miss Amelie for making such a beautiful dance for her.

SO PROUD OF YOU!

Last on this set of dances before we go into troupes (big week of six dances this time!) was the girls lyrical duo. No place this time unfortunately, but they did a beautiful job.

I love that they are so close. I hope they never lose that. 

Love you girls! ❤

Starlight Festival of Dance - April 2022

Random luck of the draw, but we had dance competitions two weekends in a row. What are the chances?!

I am so so so so so proud of this girl! We had the Starlight Festival of Dance April competitions yesterday and today and she did so well! This morning in her 10/U Solo category against 16 other people, she placed 5th. She was so upset because she stumbled slightly at the very beginning, but still came away with a Special Mention from the judges (which is the equivalent of 5th place). That put the smile back on her face! Considering it's only the third time she's ever done her solo, that is phenomenal!

We are so grateful to her wonderful teacher Miss Amelie. She has offered so much guidance and support as well as beautiful choreography. She's the best!

She and Madison took out third place in their Lyrical Duo

and were really stoked with that!

The troupes were all back to back to back this afternoon, what a day! The lyrical troupe came in second place with their "Missing the Mark" dance. Me being the absolute sop I am, of course teared up as my girl was lifted up high in the middle of the dance, it was gorgeous!

Their contemporary troupe was awarded an honourable mention (4th place)

and their jazz troupe didn't place. I don't want to be mean, but it was not their best run through, so I can't say I was surprised. They've made a lot of changes to the dance earlier this year as more people were added to the troupe and I think perhaps it just wasn't polished enough.

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Our girls had their last routine on Wednesday 13/5. You can't tell, but they are NOT happy as they were out of time (and they knew it) and didn't perform well at all. 

They placed third out of three and spent the rest of the afternoon moping about it. But, they did their best, there is always next time - and for goodness sake, they placed first last weekend! They are alright in my books!

starlight festival of dance: october 2021

what a week. dance comps are done and dusted, as we rounded out today with dance number six! this time was a little bit different for us, as madeline entered the lyrical solo category for the first time, as well as entering duos with her bestie madison.

first up was her lyrical solo, to an acoustic version of waves by dean lewis she danced beautifully but i could tell she was nervous and she wasn't thrilled when she didn't place... saying that, there was 21 dancers in that category and that was after it had been split into two! wowsers. with more practice and working on her technique and routine, i have no doubt that she will get there. these things take time and a lot of these girls have been dancing since they were in nappies!

lyrical duo with madison was number two off the ranks. they did a beautiful job also, but were against some very strong competition and definitely need more experience here too.

i loved watching them on stage together though, they work so well with each other and it was an absolute joy to watch. they danced to lonely by violet skies.

we had a full afternoon on saturday with her three troupes who did really well. first up was their contemporary troupe, it's a new routine for them to take it to the heart by odette that they started just recently and they performed it so well. despite them being the only entry in their category, they were awarded a well deserved first place. 

i love this girl gang!

and this girl was proud as punch to have her turn with the first place trophy.

second up was their lyrical troupe, doing their dance to here comes the sun by syml for the last time. it was lovely and earned them third place.

same little girl gang - just as cool in a different outfit.

having her turn with the trophy

we rounded out the day with her jazz troupe, performing to the medley of umbrella/singing in the rain from glee. with no further comments necessary, it made me very grateful that madeline's dance school is big on age appropriate moves and music. 

this dance is super cute and it certainly helps that singing in the rain is one of my all time favourite movies.

they took home an honourable mention for their dance. 

today was the best of the days though, it was finally time for madeline and madisons dance that they made up themselves in the own choreography category. they had the time of their lives making it up together and are so ridiculously cute when they do it. they just look so happy and carefree, the exact way dancing your own dance should be.

i love these girls. the dance is done to problem (the monster remix) by becky g and they decided to be monsters, complete with dark eyes, tattoo necklaces and black lipstick, so in reality they were me and my friends at our year 12 school socials hahaha.

i especially loved the hair which we sprayed green once their spikes were in place. it really set it off.

they were great on stage, it was the first time they had really smiled and looked happy in all their dances throughout comps. the girls they were against (in my opinion only) didn't have as good a dance but were very polished and perfected, earning them first place and gave our girls second. they were still happy with that - and there's time to go off and perfect their routine. 

so on our last day, she got the trophy she was after and went home happy. i'm so proud of our girl, 6 dances over 4 days and still smiling and raring to go.

we love you our tiny dancer!

 

starlight festival of dance october 2020

it never stops around here... we may have a birthday to organise and party food to make, but first up, lyrical troupe at the startlight festival of dance. we are so thrilled to be able to be back dancing at competitions after the april ones were closed down due to the covid issues.

madeline and her little troupe mates put in a stellar effort and walked away with third place in their category. (we absolutely will not mention that there was three entries haha - something we may want to know in the years to come, but they still danced beautifully!)

i love seeing them all on stage together and their love for dance. it makes all the long practices and driving and preparation worth it for us mums!

and seeing them so happy to take a place is the very best bit of course! look at her! ❤

i love their costume so much too, it's so flowy and delicate - their routine was to "here comes the sun" by syml, (a sweet folky style cover of the beatles original) and the sunny yellow is just the cutest thing. i'm so proud of our tiny dancer!