OnStage Dance Studio awarded Top Studio of the Weekend in Cobourg competition

Dancers from OnStage Dance Studio pose together as they win Top Studio of the Weekend in the Dance Attack competition in Cobourg.

Dancers from OnStage Dance Studio have returned from the Dance Attack competition held in Cobourg March 27-29. The Cobourg Community Centre was transformed into a proper dance stage complete with lights just for the occasion.

Competitions held at the different venues poses challenges for the dancers as the need to adapt to different types of flooring than they are used to, the size of the stage can be different, different lighting or the house of the theatre can be different.

After three competitions the dancers are achieving improved performance. “We are definitely improving every time we get out there which is evident in the results. I think all the dancers are feeling more confident as they gain more experience performing these particular routines,” said Meghan Seaman, owner and artistic director of OnStage Dance Studio.

And the results were outstanding. Out of 11 studios competing, OnStage was awarded Top Studio of the Weekend.

“This means that our routines had the highest average score. There was a really fantastic prize for that. The entire team gets to go to see the musical And Juliet at the Ed Mirvish Theatre. The value of that is really high and it’s exciting to go and see it as a team,” said Seaman.

There was also a great deal of success with the individual dancers. One of the senior soloists, Graeme Rooke, won top overall soloist of the competition of which there were about 400 to challenge.

“His solo scored the very highest so that’s a huge honour for him. It’s really nice when the senior dancers see their work paying off like that as they get into their final year of dance. All the time and energy and effort they are putting in since they were six or seven and working toward this, they are seeing come to fruition,” said Seaman.

Additionally, teacher and senior choreographer Shaina Wood was acknowledged with multiple choreography awards in multiple styles in terms of overall choreographer of the weekend as well.

Seaman was surprised to be awarded the Jennifer Horvath Memorial Award of Distinction for guidance and leadership toward students, a validating award for her and her studio.

The students learn so much through competition that cannot be taught in studio. “The chance to get on stage and the chance to conquer that fear of being on stage in front of people is one of the biggest fears people have,” said Seaman.

“They are learning how to conquer that fear and they are learning to win or lose graciously,” she added. “If something goes wrong in the routine, they have to just continue on and keep it going. There is a lot of benefit in the whole competitive process in the group, that together we start from scratch but together we work with a common goal, and we need all the team members to work equally and with each other. Some people are going to be leaders sometimes and that same person has to take the teammate role sometimes, but together we have that shared purpose and that shared goal that we are continually working toward over the long term. … It’s not just that instant gratification, they’re not going to get it the first time, it is going to be a long process.”

There remain two competitions of the season, April 10-12 in Toronto and April 17-19 in London.