An East London dance studio, Dance Addiction, scooped top accolades at the World Championships of Performing Arts in the United States of America.
The four-member team returned home to a warm welcome at the East London Airport on Thursday after spending a month in the US.
Two of the performers, Chace Collett and Ashley Behrens, who were grand champions of the World Dance Duet last year, made their fifth appearance in the competition while Tanique Allers and Shanea Miller made their debut.
They competed against more than 5000 contestants from more than 60 countries. Some of the contestants were as young as five.
Clarendon High School pupil, Miller, 17, described her first experience at the championships as “out of this world”. She scooped three silver and four bronze medals including an Industry Award and Showcase of Champion Award.
“It was the best experience of my life with so many dancers and top choreographers from around the world all under one roof. So many memories were made and a lot of contacts were gained.”
Miller, together with Collett, scooped four gold medals in the dance duet category and were overall champions of the world division winners.
Stirling High School’s Allers said: “If I could sum it up in one word, it was liberating. Just the whole diversity of the competition and seeing so much culture and the American atmosphere was amazing.”
Allers won a bronze for dancing and two others for acting, including one silver.
Collett scooped 14 gold, two silver and two bronze medals in her age division, including Showcase of Champion Award, 13 overall champion of the world division winner titles for dance in her division and a Millennium Dance Complex scholarship.
Behrens and Collett scooped six golds, Showcase of Champions Award and were three-time overall Champion of the World division winners in their dance duet. Behrens also walked away with three gold medals.
Last year two of the studio’s dancers, Kimberley Cameron, 17 and Caitlin Young, 23, won top accolades at the same event.
Top dancers return heads held up high
The four-member team returned home to a warm welcome at the East London Airport on Thursday after spending a month in the US.
Two of the performers, Chace Collett and Ashley Behrens, who were grand champions of the World Dance Duet last year, made their fifth appearance in the competition while Tanique Allers and Shanea Miller made their debut.
They competed against more than 5000 contestants from more than 60 countries. Some of the contestants were as young as five.
Clarendon High School pupil, Miller, 17, described her first experience at the championships as “out of this world”. She scooped three silver and four bronze medals including an Industry Award and Showcase of Champion Award.
“It was the best experience of my life with so many dancers and top choreographers from around the world all under one roof. So many memories were made and a lot of contacts were gained.”
Miller, together with Collett, scooped four gold medals in the dance duet category and were overall champions of the world division winners.
Stirling High School’s Allers said: “If I could sum it up in one word, it was liberating. Just the whole diversity of the competition and seeing so much culture and the American atmosphere was amazing.”
Allers won a bronze for dancing and two others for acting, including one silver.
Collett scooped 14 gold, two silver and two bronze medals in her age division, including Showcase of Champion Award, 13 overall champion of the world division winner titles for dance in her division and a Millennium Dance Complex scholarship.
Behrens and Collett scooped six golds, Showcase of Champions Award and were three-time overall Champion of the World division winners in their dance duet. Behrens also walked away with three gold medals.
Last year two of the studio’s dancers, Kimberley Cameron, 17 and Caitlin Young, 23, won top accolades at the same event.
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