Dance Connection Performing Company - Philosophy/Mission Statement
The Dance Connection Performing Company is dedicated to developing the whole person with dance as a contributing aspect of the learning process. Not only is it important to learn correct dance technique, our philosophy is to teach dancers about discipline, honesty, commitment, dedication, team work, self-control and to provide them with the confidence to work through experiences they may encounter in all aspects of their life. Dance comes from the heart and we hope that their love, passion and desire to succeed in dance will help each and every person achieve their goals in life.
TEAM NEWS
Dance Connection competitive team dancer Tina Hidai has earned a position as a Tremaine convention assistant!
She will be assisting convention classes in Houston, San Francisco, Austin, Chicago, Vancouver,
Los Angeles, and Las Vegas as well as performing with the faculty.
Congratulations to the Starbound competitors! Great job everyone!!!

Tina and Alyssa were in a group of over 50 Senior dancers (ages 13+) and they both placed 1st in their age group and also in the top ten overall Senior category.
They are both qualified to attend Nationals (one is in Lake Tahoe so it’s pretty close to home).

Alyssa - Unwinding Cable Car (Score: 289.5) High Gold, 1st in the category, 6th in Senior solo

Tina - Gotta Get Thru This (288.5) High Gold, 1st in the category, 7th in Senior solo

Melany - You Can’t Stop the Beat (283) High Gold, 1st in the category

Louise - I Enjoy Being a Girl (273) Gold

Louise - Protecting Me (273) Gold

Hannah - Life’s What You Make It (274) Gold

Gal & Isabel – The Walk – Gold

American Dance Awards Regional Competition on 2/25/08 results:

Wild Night (Emily) - Gold, "Total Package" Award, 5th Overall solo, 3rd Runner up for Junior Dancer of the Year

Nobody’s Perfect (Michelle) - High Silver

Breakaway (Tina & Olivia) - Gold, 2nd Overall duo/trio, Young Choreographer Award

Money (Emily & Melany) - Gold, 3rd Overall duo/trio

You Can’t Stop The Beat (Melany) - Gold, "Potential Plus" Award (Junior), 3rd Overall solo, 2nd Runner Up for Junior Dancer of the Year

I Enjoy Being a Girl (Louise) - High Silver

Unwinding Cable Car (Alyssa) - Gold, 2nd Runnier Up for Dancer of the Year

Gotta Get Thru This (Tina) - Ultimate Gold, "Potential Plus" Award (Teen)

Protecting Me (Louise) - Silver

Here It Goes Again (Tina) - Gold

Late Night Tap (Kelly and Haley) – Silver
Please congratulate the follow dancers for their outstanding performance
at the Rainbow Competition:

Hannah Shack: Life's What You Make It - 1st
Miranda Alfano-Smith: Fabulous - 1st
Michelle Li: Nobody's Perfect-Jazz - 1st
Melany Montano: You Can't Stop The Beat - High 1st
Emily McKinney: Wild Night - High 1st
Tina Hidai: Here It Goes Again - High 1st
Tina Hidai: Gotta Get Through This - High 1st

Emily got Jr. Overall 1st place (big trophy and $75) !!!
Melany got Jr. Overall 8th place !!

Melany and Tina were selected as the Dancer Of the Year finalists.
They are eligible to compete for the DOY title at National Finals.

Dupree Expo Convention/Competition results for 2/7/08

Gotta Get Through This (Tina) – Platinum!!!! (Tina was awarded 99/100 points
from all three judges)
You Can’t Stop The Beat (Melany) – Gold
I Enjoy Being a Girl (Louise) – Gold
The Walk (Gal & Isabel) – Gold

These dancers also received a “Studio Achievement” award for the studio!!!
Isabel Obrien won an Intermediate convention scholarship
Melany Montano won the ALL Star award. She is invited to Dupree's Tap'N Jazz
camp in Chicago and has the opportunity to dance as a smember of the ALL
Star Performance Team at the National Finals.
Tina won an Advanced convention scholarship

Bonnie Brock organized the Perfoming Company’s fundraising effort for Shelter Network. She was moving boxes (or getting her husband and Natalie to move things) while on crutches and we appreciate all her effort. It was a huge success and a total of $728 was raised. This is more than we had expected.


LADF WEEKEND THIS FALL

• Ooh Boy (Mini Team) – Congrats to the whole team especially to Josh and Neta Singer (first dance competition) who were added to the dance.
o Silver and a 3rd place overall in their category

• Come On Get Up (Jr. Prep) – Thank you to Edina for returning the team for this performance (and Buyong for all the sushi) and all Jr. Prep team members for being so adaptable when reblocking this piece.
o Silver and 3rd place overall in their category

• Believe (Junior Team) – One of the cleanest performance and you nailed the fouettes!
o Silver


• Find A New Way (Seniors) – First competition for this performance
o Silver

• My Computer – This showcase piece was a success and well-received by LADF and the audience
• Nobody’s Perfect – A HUGE round of applause for Michelle Li’s first solo ever. This is a very nerve-racking experience and Michelle handled it like a Pro!
o Silver


• Best of Both Worlds – Simply FANTASTIC!
o Gold and $200 Cash Award to these two talented dancers


• Breakaway (Tina & Olivia duet) – Beautiful!
o Gold


• Here It Goes Again (Tina solo) – Perfection! Clean lines and amazing technique.
o Gold

Scholarships
This was an unbelievable weekend and I’m 99.9% sure that this was the most scholarships we have received at any convention.
Congratulations to everyone who participated in the audition.

• Beginner Room
o Josh Wilson – one of only two dancers chosen from the whole Beginner room to perform the audition dance in front of everyone and be filmed for a potential $1000 scholarship. Josh was no match for the other performer (not that she wasn’t good but Josh stole the show)
o Convention Scholarships – Kayla Flagg, Ting (oops I mean Tina) Wang and Melanie Guan

• Intermediate Room:
o Convention Scholarship to Emily McKinney
o Two-Week Scholarship to the Edge to Tina Hidai – This is an experience not to pass up.

• Advanced Room
o Convention Scholarship to Alexei Koseff (let’s hope that there will be a convention close to whatever college you end up at next year)
Hollywood Connection Competition:
Tina Lyrical solo (Gotta Get Thru This) - Gold and 1st place
Tina Jazz solo (Here It Goes Again) - Gold
Melany Open solo (You Can't Stop the Beat) - Gold
Tina and Melany both won convention scholarships to attend next year complimentary.
Hollywood Vibe's Competition:
Melany solo (You Can't Stop the Beat) - High Gold and 1st place
Tina Lyrical solo (Gotta Get Thru This) - High Gold
Tina Jazz solo (Here It Goes Again) - Gold