Columbia Dance Studio Wins 11 First-Place Awards at Regional Competition

They’d learned and memorized and practiced and mastered their dance steps so well that when the dancing stopped, the stepping continued – all the way onto the top of the podium.

The Columbia-based Arabesque Dance Studio put forth 14 performances at this past weekend’s regional Revolution Talent Competition at the Baltimore Convention Center. Eleven of those performances won first-place honors.

 “This was a great way to start off competition season,” said Brooke Selznick, a 12-year-old who was in winning tap and jazz dance performances.

Revolution Talent Competition hosts 23 regional competitions. The winners qualify for its national competition in July in Washington, D.C., and, if they choose, for the Starpower Talent Competition, also in July, in Ocean City, Md.

Arabesque will be going to Starpower. Their next regional competition, meanwhile, will be in early March at the NUVO Dance Competition in Reston, Va.

“I am so proud of all the dancers,” said Liza Freint, a choreographer at the studio. “All their hard work paid off.”

Arabesque’s dancers, who range in age from five to 15, competed against dancers from 19 other studios from Maryland, Delaware and Virginia. Other dancers were as young as three or as old as 20.

Performances are awarded points. If they earn enough points, they receive a medal – platinum is the highest. The performers are then ranked by category and by age range and can receive medals depending on how they place.

Here’s how the Columbia studio did:

I'm Yours

• Ballet, choreographed by Valerie Bonk
• Performers: Carolyn Conron, Sarah Jang
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 1st place overall for duo/trios ages 9 to 10.

Viva la Vida

• Ballet, choreographed by Valerie Bonk
• Performers: Gracie Shuman, Haley Wells
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 3rd place overall for duo/trios age 12 to 14

Wavin' Flag

• Tap, choreographed by Becca Fecteau and Liza Freint
• Performers: Brooke Selznick, Melissa Muul, Julia Reese
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 2nd place overall for duo/trios ages 12 to 14

The Heart of the Matter

• Lyrical, choreographed by Liza Freint and Becca Fecteau
• Performers: Emily Ames, Gabrielle Marrapodi, Gracie Shuman, Haley Wells
• Elite Gold and 1st place in category

Tango

• Jazz, choreographed by Christina Woodard
• Performers: Emily Ames, Gabrielle Marrapodi, Gracie Shuman, Haley Wells 
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 1st place overall for small groups ages 12 to 14

Can You Feel The Love Tonight

• Ballet, choreographed by Valerie Bonk
• Performers: Julia McCanna, Hannah Miller, Jillian Sanders, Annie Yozwiak
• Elite Gold and 1st place in category

Teddy Bear's Picnic

• Ballet, choreographed by Valerie Bonk
• Performers: Jasmine Jenkins, Olivia Sartwell, Sophie Wilt, Annie Yozwiak
• Platinum, 1st place in category, 4th place overall small group 8 and under

Heaven Hop

• Tap, choreographed by Becca Fecteau
• Performers: Emily Cole, Carolyn Conron, Crista Falco, Sarah Jang, Maya Richard
• Elite Gold and 5th place overall for small groups ages 9 to 11

Rock This Town

• Jazz, choreographed by Teddi Stern
• Performers: Lindsey Freeman, Alicia McBrien, Melissa Muul, Julia Reese, Brooke Selznick
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 2nd place overall for small groups ages 12 to 14

Lipstick, Powder and Paint

• Tap, choreographed by Liza Freint 
• Performers: Alaina Degenais, Marin Hefner, Xan Hopkins, Hannah Miller, Madison Praisner, Caroline Salopek, Jillian Sanders, Jourdan Sohn
• Elite Gold

Heartbreaker

• Jazz, choreographed by Nicole Payne
• Performer: Emily Ames
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category, 3rd place overall for ages 15 to 16

If My Friends Could See Me Now

• Musical theater, choreographed by Nicole Payne
• Performer: Gabrielle Marrapodi
• Elite Gold, 1st place in category.

I Stand

• Lyrical, choreographed by Liza Freint
• Performer: Gracie Shuman
• Elite Gold

The Hot Honey Rag

• Tap, choreographed by Teddi Stern
• Performer: Haley Wells
• Elite Gold, 1st place  in category and 1st place overall for solos ages 12 to 14

(Editor's Note: Valerie Bonk, a choreographer for Arabesque, is the local editor of Eldersburg Patch.)