Dynamic Dancers Take Down Competition for National Title

You know it’s a successful competition when you can’t fit the trophy on a plane.

That’s exactly what happened for 11 of Dance Dynamics competitors, making up the routine “Lion King” at a national competition in Orlando, Florida this month.

The team competed in the Senior division for 15-19 year-olds at the national Nexstar Competition in Walt Disney World during a five-day event.

After a successful four days of routines that ran the gamut of choreographed dance numbers ranging from tap to jazz to hip-hop and more, the ladies of Lion King came in fourth overall in their division.

On July 13, the final day of competition, the judges called back the top-performing teams for one more chance at glory.

Doing its signature tap routine, Lion King danced off the stage and awaited its fate. For some it would be the final competition in their Dance Dynamics careers, and it was well worth the hard work.

The judges returned a verdict, and gave the ladies of Lion King the top overall performance, crowning them Nexstar champions.

While the senior division left its mark on the competition, Dance Dynamics – located in Long Valley – had several other teams prove their worth on the national stage.

The dancers in the routine “Breaking Dishes” ended the weekend seventh overall, but bumped up its standing to fourth on the call-back competition day with a successful jazz routine. The routine “Pirates of the Caribbean” placed eighth overall in its division, with the “Into The Woods” routine coming in ninth in its division.

So, how did that trophy, which stood taller than some team members, make its way back to northern New Jersey?

Thanks to dance mom Michele Stanton, the trophy was disassembled and placed into carry-on bags so they could make the flight home. Upon returning to Long Valley, they were reassembled and placed in the Dance Dynamics studio on East Mill Road.

Pictured: Front row, from left: Allie Terracino, Harper Nardone, Nicole Domanski, Nicole Scanlon. Back row, from left: Alli Coleman, Claire Russell, Brielle Rapach, Jessica Scanlon, Danielle Bogdan, Nicole Stanton, and Amy Milner. Photo Courtesy Dance Dynamics