Whiz Kids: The Edgewater Elementary Dance Company

Nominated by: Rebecca Schou, principal, Edgewater Elementary School

Whiz Kid's Name: The Edgewater Elementary Dance Company

Whiz Kid's Age: The dance company is comprised of 4th and 5th grade students (5 boys and 18 girls) and coached by Kate Bumgarner and Megan Knicely. The students include: Grace Allen, Victoria Covington, Alanah Cunningham, Oliva Duval, Mikaela Flanagan, Erin Grigsby, Gabriella Grigsby, Michael Grigsby, Calli Hagen, Courtney Hayendga, Maredith Lusby, Christopher Mohler, Alondra Pacheco, Christina Peake, Julia Person, Mackenzie Sanner, Selena Sikalis, and Brianna Whittaker

Whiz Kid's School: Edgewater Elementary

Whiz Kid's Accomplishment/Awesomeness:  The Edgewater Elementary dance company performed a dance choreographed by Bumgarner and Knicely to the Smashmouth song “I’m a Believer” at the AACPS Dance Festival on Feb. 3 and 4 at South River High School. For most of the company, this was their first dance experience.

According to Principal Schou, "the students have worked very hard at each practice and have done a great job learning and performing the routines—so well, in fact, that they were chosen to perform on Feb. 4, which was by invitation only."

Brianna Whitaker, 11, liked the spins incorporated into the routine, and said the team had performed once for parents in January, and then again at a school assembly just before the competition.

Christina Peake, 10, one of the fifth grade dancers, said that the team started preparing for the dance festival just after Halloween. One of her favorite parts of the routine was at the beginning. Peake said that they start the song with their backs facing the audience and then windmill their arms around to face the audience with big smiles.

Alondra Pacheco and Mackenzie Sanner, both 10, agreed that the windmill sequence was a favorite part of the routine.

The AACPS Dance Festivals are performance opportunities for elementary through high school students.  The dance festivals are enrichment programs to the K-12 dance instructional programs in Anne Arundel County.

Dance teams from the following schools performed at the South River High School Dance Festival: Annapolis High, Lothian Elementary, Southern High, Annapolis Middle, Old Mill High, Shady Side Elementary, Meade High North County High, Northeast High, Deale Elementary, South River High, Chesapeake High, Corkran Middle, Riviera Beach Elementary, Broadneck High, Arundel High, Glen Burnie High, Broadneck Elementary and Severna Park High.

Remaining AACPS dance festivals will be held at Chesapeake High at 7 p.m. on Feb. 10-11, and at North County High at 7 p.m. on Feb. 17-18.