Dancers win competition

Page 6

Three young girls from Metis Local 888 in Drayton Valley took top honors at the American Dance Awards national finals, held in Las Vegas July 6 to 9. The finals have now expanded into an international event, with dancers from around the world taking part.

Megan Rowles, 8, Ranae Rowles, 4, and Jessie Garon, 9, competed against 1,500 other dancers under the age of 12, with each girl taking top spot in each of the categories they competed in. The three girls attend the Drayton Valley Dance and Performing Arts Studio, studying under dance instructor Michelle Webster. Megan studies jazz, tap, ballet and lyrical dance. Jessie studies tap, and Ranae studies jazz, ballet and tap.

The girls worked their way to the international competition, winning at the American Dance Awards regional finals in Edmonton in the spring in order to qualify for Las Vegas. This was the first time the girls competed in the American Dance Awards, Webster explained, because this was the first time the regional competition had been held in Canada.

Each dancer competing in Las Vegas was ranked according to their finish and performance.

Megan place first in her lyrical solo, receiving a silver. Jessie placed first in her tap solo, receiving a high silver, and Ranae placed first in her jazz solo, receiving a gold.

Jessie and Megan placed first and received a high silver in their tap duet, while Megan and Ranae teamed up for a first place and gold in jazz duet.

Ranae also received an additional honor, being named Future Superstar of the Year.

Prior to competing in Las Vegas, the girls also joined five fellow students at the Dance Power Canadian Finals, held in Banff June 30 to July 1, where Megan placed first in the lyrical solo competition, Ranae placed first in the jazz solo competition, and Jessie took second place in the tap solo. Megan teamed up with Ranae and placed first in the jazz duet competition, while Jessie and Megan finished first in the tap duet category.

Megan and Ranae also received second place as part of a jazz group, dancing with Ashley Schneider, Sadee Hill, Cassandra Morrisseau and Yanara Schaffer. Ranae teamed up with Ashley Schneider, again for a second in a tap duet, and with Sadee Hill for a second in ballet duet.

Megan joined Cassandra Morrisseau and Jackie Jouan in a ballet group performance, again finishing in second place.