Barre Talk
Newsline from competition circle TURNING UP THE HEAT!
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Dance Unlimited Newsletter
Part: 1
The question of the weekend at Fire and Ice Talent and Dance Competition held in Mobile, Ala. was "Where is Dance Unlimited located again?"
Several competition dancers recently traveled to participate in the nationwide convention and competition and won top awards. In the convention, Janet Nelson made a stunning show in the audition process and was named a runner-up scholarship winner. Ma Coi Hollins used her unique appeal and was selected to demonstrate during the jazz class. At the competition, Taylor Rivera kicked it off with a performance of Colors of the Wind that would have made John Smith proud. She kept it going with a rousing rendition of Mambo # 5. For her outstanding performance, Taylor was awarded second place overall in the Intermediate solo division out of over 36 entries. Janet made a home run and shut out the competition with her stellar tap routine. She rounded it out to capture a fifth place overall in the intermediate solo division with her sentimental and sensational performance to Send in the Clowns. Ma Coi Hollins lit the stage up with her performance of Paper Moon and captured a gold medal. She went on to dazzle and delight with Dancing Machine to place in the top 10 of the advanced title division. In the teen division, Caitlyn Figueroa performed exceptionally beautiful bringing some in the audience to tears as she swayed to A New Day. With confidence, she delivered powerful stage presence, as she was the total package with The Blitz. Caitlyn achieved a personal best! A New Day’s performance placed Caitlyn in the Top 5 Teen Intermediate solos. Also in the teen division, the dynamic duet team of Hailey Weber and Ma Que Hollins didn’t cease to amaze everyone in the audience. The duo expressed their love to dance as they whirled across the stage for Wild Horses. They went on to amuse dance lovers in the campy piece Music Box which appeared to be an audience favorite. Music Box gained Dance Unlimited a second place overall high score. But wait, don’t leave the stage, they are told, because the pair also received first place overall high score with their unpracticed performance of Wild Horses. They weren’t the only phenomenal pair to hit the stage. Laurenn and Monique tantalized the audience and the judges with Touch. The electrifying performance gained the twosome a first place overall win in the senior division. Sensational senior dancer Monique Cannon burned up the stage, or as some would say "tore it up" while performing Stuff Like That. The judges appeared to "like that stuff" as they awarded Monique the highest score in the senior intermediate solo division of the event. Ma Que Hollins was brilliant in her jazz performance of Hurt So Bad and incomparable in her lyrical Walk Away. She was the epitome of excellence in the inspirational tap piece to Precious Lord, which helped her to win the Miss Fire and Ice Title Division. Ma Que was also awarded Top Senior Solo award with Walk Away. The rewards for her efforts did not stop there, as a soloist, she went on to capture the Grand Champion Diamond award, scoring the highest score of all divisions, categories and performances at the event with Walk Away. Dance Unlimited continued to be a force as the studio received two of four highly esteemed choreography awards given. Music Box captured the award in the teen division and Precious Lord was given the honors in the senior division. Taylor Rivera and Nicole Cannon were picture perfect in the photogenic category. The two beautiful dancers presented viewers a lasting memory of the true meaning of lovely, adorable and simply gorgeous. Happy Competing! Part: 2 Petite competitor Taylor Rivera and Junior division dancer Gabrielle House both brought the house down and walked away with top honors. Taylor was named top advanced mini soloist as she delighted everyone in the audience. The honors didn’t stop there, she was also named first runner-up in the Petite Title Division. Gabby strutted her stuff and gave a brilliant performance to be named first runner-up winner in the Junior Title Division. Congratulations dancers!
Dance Unlimited’s No Limit competition team turned up the heat while cooling the competition at Fire and Ice’s Regional Competition in Lafayette recently.
Rousing Revue
Congratulations to the faculty, staff and dancers at Dance Unlimited for a job well done at this year’s dance revue.
Students and parents alike will never forget "The Main Event" of 2008.
This year’s Ultimate Elite ad winner was Miss Madison Johnson.
Elite runners-up were Jordan and Hannah Candies.
Ultimate ad winners were Taylor and Mikayla Meyer and Haley and Amber Verbois.
Ultimate runners-up were Shayla Boyd, Jayme White, Katelyn Carcich, Janet Nelson, Erin Housend, Ali Workman, Hannah Edmonds, Amari Gayden and Camille Landeche.
Congratulations to our 10-year graduates and their outstanding solo performances. They are: Albreian Cornish, Yoshi Miller and Kayley Naquin, LaPlace studio; Abbie Chiasson, Maya Gauthier, Marissa Landry, Kristen Plaisance, Kate Prendergast, Kaelynn Smith, Abby Thibodaux and Taylor Campbell, Paradis studio; and Dominique Brogle, Stephanie Crouchet, Casey Erwin, Jenny Pahnka, Lauren Perret, Alyssa Wininger and Courtney Prather, Destrehan Studio.
WALL TO WALL
No Limit’s own Jeffery Keys will be traveling to Orlando, Fla. to represent the state of Louisiana in the Teen Mr. Dance Competition at the highly esteemed Dance Masters of America National Competition in Orlando, Fla.
Jeffery will lay the funk down when he slams the stage with his hip hop dance Wall to Wall choreographed by Travon August. Congratulations Jeffery "Can’t Touch This" Keys. Good luck in Florida.
KUDO Korner
©Congratulations to Hailee Weber for being named an All-Star dancer at Desty Darling Dance Camp.
©Congratulations to Dominique Brogle for being named to the All-Stars at SCC Sparks Camp.
©Congratulations to Ma Que Hollins for being accepted into NOCCA.
WELCOME BACK!
Welcome back to summer school DU prestigious alumni Kyra Duhe, Robin Nelson, Chelsea Troxler and Peyton Bourgeois!
ON THE SCENE
Several members of Dance Unlimited’s No Limit Crew have been sighted at various performances.
Gabrielle House and Ma Que Hollins recently performed solos for the delight of readers at Barnes and Noble’s Open House in Metairie.
Members of the Hip Hop Class – Angelique Boyd, Ma Que and Ma Coi Hollins, Hailee Weber, Alexis Hampton and Victoria Pellerin – recently took the stage as the opening dance act for Baby Boy "This is the Way I Live" at the PowerAde Pro Challenge Celebration recently.
Bells are Ringing
Miss Angie Lehrmann will officially switch titles and become Mrs. Travis Kliebert when they Tie the Knot June 28 in Reserve.
Congratulations to the lovely young couple.
PAUSE TO PRAY
Please keep the following No Limit family members and their families in your prayers:
† Kim Weber for her daughter Laurie and her nephew Kenny.
† Josie Badeaux for her mother.
† Nee Nee for a continued speedy recovery.
Have you Heard?
Have you heard any good news regarding a member of the Dance Unlimited No Limit Crew? If so, please submit the information to Q. Remember all news is good news and no news is too small!
Part: 3 Around in the World and Back This Summer On location from Tennessee – No Limit junior dancer Taylor Riviere competed at the Star Systems National Competition. Taylor wowed the audience, and of course the judges, with her hand clapping and show-stopping jazz and lyrical pieces. Taylor won top awards for her brilliant performances! On location from Oklahoma – No Limit members entered seven dance numbers in the Odyssey National Competition and walked away with five overall titles! In the Petite division, Ma Coi Hollins won top solo for her tap dance and Janet Nelson won top solo for her tap dance in the Junior Division. Both performances netted a personal best achievement and kept the audience and judges enthralled! In the teen division, Angelique Boyd was named Teen Miss Title Odyssey for her spellbinding jazz dance and Ma Que Hollins, with nearly perfect scores, was named Senior Overall Top Soloists, Miss Odyssey Senior Title Winner and the LA Dance Magic Overall Scholarship Winner, for her tap dance. This win made Ma Que achieve the unprecedented – being undefeated in Title competition this season. On location at PAC in Orlando, Fla – Several No Limit petite, junior, teen and senior members converged on Magic Kingdom this summer – only to have their Dreams Come True at DMA Nationals. The magical environment only helped enhance their performances as they mesmerized all who took part. In the Petite Division – Amber Oubre graced the stage with her smile and poise and merited a second overall for her lyrical performance. Ma Coi Hollins tapped her little feet away in her tap piece and Alexis Keys shook it away in her jazz dance. Both dancers amused both the judges and audience alike with their exciting showstopping performances. In the Junior Division – Janet Nelson walked away with first place honors in the lyrical division, leaving the judges hypnotized with her elegance and charm. She also delighted the audience with her energetic tap performance. The sassy trio hip hop group of Ma Coi, Janet and Sabrina showed the judges and audience how to do it “like this.” And it was done ‘like that.’ Congrats girls on a job well done. In the teen division – Angelle Pellerin showed sass and class in her dynamic jazz dance. Angelique Boyd and Angelle were both brilliant and engaging in their jazz performance. Members of That Group were both busy and exhausted, but their schedule and tasks didn’t stop them from being showstoppers during the course of the week. In overall auditions – Ashleigh Keller won the second overall jazz scholarship and Ma Que Hollins won the third overall jazz scholarship out of nearly 120 competitors in the 13 and up division. Teen dancer, Hailee Weber, received a Hot Jazz special award for her jazz piece because she was on FIRE. But the awards didn’t stop there, she won first place in the teen jazz division and 11th overall in the entire teen division for the exciting performance. Senior dancer, Victoria Pellerin showed both elegance and fluidity, with her smooth lyrical dance, walking away with high honors. Senior dancer, Ma Que Hollins, won first place in senior tap and third overall in the entire senior division with her hypnotizing tap performance. In addition, Ma Que’s performance received the prestigious - Overall Excellence Award. She received the award for presenting the most excellent performance and technical execution from out of all the entries including, jazz, tap, lyrical, ballet and modern and divisions, including solos, duets/trios, groups and productions. Well done, Ma Que. That Group’s lyrical performance “Wild Horses” received high honors and the special Fab Four award for their connection, performance and musicality. That Group’s jazz performance “Rama” also received high honors and A Choreography Special Award for their creativity, performance and technique. The tap performance of “Tune In” also received high marks and netted a personal best performance from the dancers. The whimsical performance of “Music Box” by Hailee and Ma Que won platinum awards and a huge applause! KUDO KORNER! · Junior dancer, Gabrielle House recently won top honors at the Universal Dance Association summer camp at Southeastern Louisiana University with the LaPlace Elementary School Tigerettes dance team. She received superior awards for both her hip hop and jazz routines! Congratulations! · Junior dancers Taylor Ruffin and Jenna Bordelon are taking it to the hoops as newly appointed Hornet Stingrays Junior Dancers! Get your groove on girls! With wide arms, a hug and a kiss, DU welcomes back prestigious alumni David Monroe, who is on break from ATL DanceMaker Professional Company. Welcome back to junior dancer, Lorel House! · Congratulations to DU alumni, Miss Chelsea Troxler for being named the St. Charles Parish Sugar Pageant Festival Queen. Good luck in New Iberia at the State Sugar Pageant. · A big “You are Awesome!” to senior dancer, Monique Cannon, for being named first runner-up in the Miss Catfish Pageant. On the Scene and being Seen Senior dancer and That Group member, Ashleigh Keller, was recently invited to teach All-Star dancers at Mississippi State University. No Limits! It’s almost the time to say I Do! Best wishes and congratulations to our own, Miss Amanda Guidry who will soon be Mrs. Brandon Smith. Congratulations to our own Angela Lehrmann, who recently changed her name to Mrs. Angela L. Kliebert! Best wishes and Congratulations. Happy Honeymooning! GREAT EXPECTATIONS Pacifiers, onesies and booties – Mrs. Angie is expecting a cutie!! That’s right, Rock-a-bye Baby, Little Miss Muffin and Humpty Dumpty will soon be the topic of conversation. Mrs. Angie is expecting her first bundle of joy!! We are excited for you and Travis and pray that God continues to bless you both abundantly! DRUM ROLL PLEASE! Although PAC at DMA Nationals brought both excitement and rewards, nothing could compare to the Dance Masters of America Teen Pageant Competition. Our own Jeffery Keys stepped on the national stage and brought the house down with his high spirited hip hop performance of Wall to Wall. With the spotlight on him, he shattered the floor and pounced on the competition. Hitting every beat hard, Jeffery didn’t stop until the entire audience was grooving to his beat and standing on their feet. Representing DU’s finest, Jeffery dominated the week-long event. Whether he was found at the grueling preliminaries, intense interview or exhausting class auditions, he was always a Class-Act! Jeffery we are proud to call you our own. You are a heart-breaker – back up ladies – and a star. We salute, applaud and praise you. CONGRATULATIONS DANCE UNLIMITED'S OWN Teen Mr. Dance of Louisana 2008 BARRE TALK IV It’s Go Time Baby! Members of the No Limit Competition Team have been on the move and it is certainly – “Go Time!” In November, an impressive team participated in Louisiana Dance Master’s Association annual Title and Performing Arts Competition. In the Petite Title Division, Little Miss Taylor Rivera, couldn’t be stopped as she went on to be named first runner-up! Taylor performed a breathtaking lyrical piece to “Colors of the Wind.” She also dazzled the judges to capture the overall Acro Scholarship at the banquet. Congratulations and well done, Taylor. In the Teen Title Division, Hailee Weber was crowned Teen Miss Dance of Louisiana. Hailee performed an elegant and powerful lyrical dance to walk away with the honors. Her beauty and grace was spectacular. Ashleigh Keller joined the stage of talented teens and captured third runner-up with her fast rhythm and high beats. Ashleigh set the audience on fire with an amazing tap dance. The awards didn’t stop there, she also captured the jazz scholarship at the annual banquet. The No Limit Crew and LADM members and participants also bid farewell to our own Teen Mr. Dance of Louisiana 2008 Jeffery Keys. Jeffery wowed the audience, once again, with his show-stopping hip-hop performance. He was an amazing representative for Louisiana. The next day proved to be even more of a celebration at the Performing Arts Competition. In the junior division, Janet Nelson won first overall with her electrifying tap solo “The Game” and the judges coveted tap award. Janet was lauded for her crisp moves and rhythm. Ma Coi Hollins was a gem as she took the stage to perform her jazz routine to “Who’s Got the Pain.” She was named second overall top soloist in the 12 and under division. In the senior division, Ma Que Hollins, once again, broke records, receiving both the first and second spots of the overall line-up. The first time many witnessed such a feat. Ma Que won first overall top solo for her tap routine to “Spell on You” and second overall top solo for her lyrical to “Walk Away.” Members of That Group performed a personal best and won first overall in small groups for the lyrical piece "Rain.” In the duet division, Ma Que Hollins and Hailee Weber won second overall with the audience favorite, their musical theatre performance of Music Box. The duet also won the prestigious judge’s award for best performance/choreography of the day. At the annual banquet ceremony, Dance Unlimited was well represented with performances by Teen Miss Dance of Louisiana Hailee Weber, Ma Que Hollins, Janet Nelson and the members of That Group – Ma Que Hollins, Hailee Weber, Ashleigh Keller and Victoria Pellerin. DU students beamed with pride as teachers, Laurie Falgoust and Amanda Smith were sworn in as the newest LADM members. Travon Moody was also welcomed to the group. Congratulations to Duanne Cazalot and Angie Lehrmann for representing DU with grace, integrity and astuteness as they were once again sworn in as LADM board members. On location in Mobile, Ala., several members of the No Limit Crew traveled to compete in Stage One Competition. Dance Unlimited walked away with solid platinum achievements and netted a first place overall in nearly every division. Although considered a ‘new’ school to the area, by the end of the day, the name would be etched in stone forever. In the Shooting Star division, Taylor Rivera received first place in her division and was named second overall for her lyrical performance. In the Rising Star division, Ma Coi Hollins received first place in tap and jazz and first place overall for her tap solo. She also received the Fabulous Feet Achievement Award. In the Shooting Star junior division, Janet Nelson won first place in lyrical and first place overall. Gabrielle House achieved first place in contemporary and second place overall. Gabby also won the Best Entertainer Achievement Award. In the Shooting Star teen division, Caitlyn Figueroa won first place in both her jazz and open pieces. The high placements netted her a first place overall win with her contemporary piece in solos. In the Super Star teen category, Ashleigh Keller won first in lyrical and the tap divisions. She also won first overall with her tap dance in the solo division. Ashleigh also received the Fabulous Feet Achievement Award. Ma Que Hollins won first in tap and lyrical in the Super Star senior division. She captured the first place overall win with a perfect score of 300, along with the Most Entertaining Achievement Award. In the group division, the hip-hop group, Genesis, won third overall in Shooting Stars and first in their division. They also received the Best Showmanship Achievement Award. That Group received a fifth place overall for the jazz piece “Retract” and Best Choreography Award; and a first place overall for the lyrical dance “Rain.” Rain also received an award for having the highest score of all of the groups of the day, the Excellence in Dance Award and the Most Precision Achievement Award. The group also won the YouTube Award and will be featured on the company’s website at www.stageondance.com. Dance Unlimited also received the sought-after Competitive Spirit Award, which is selected by staff members for having a great attitude, good sportsmanship and embodying the true spirit of competition by being friendly, polite and helpful to others. Congratulations to all, on doing extremely well! KUDO KORNER! · Junior dancer Taylor Ruffin recently beat out candidates from across the country for the featured spot to star in the new sitcom “My Parents, My Sister and Me.” That’s right – she will be playing the role as Me! The sitcom series is being produced by the legendary Debbie Allen; and Taylor will be playing the role of Jasmin Guy’s, “aka Whitley”, daughter on the show. Good luck, Taylor and congratulations! · Also working with Debbie Allen, will be Ma Que and Ma Coi Hollins and Taylor Rivera who will be participating in her upcoming theatre production at the Baton Rouge Civic Center. Congrats girls and Break a Leg! · Congratulations to DU alumni, Miss Chelsea Troxler, for being named the Louisiana State Sugar Pageant Queen. Troxler is currently in Washington D. C. for the Queen’s Ball. · Sisters Ma Que and Ma Coi Hollins are both reigning as Andouille Queens. Ma Que is named Teen Andouille Queen XIV and Ma Coi is named Deb Miss Andouille Queen. · Victoria Pellerin shined brightly at the Queen of Hearts Pageant and was named first runner-up. Congratulations to our own, Mrs. Amanda Guidry Smith who recently tied the knot to Mr. Brandon Smith. Best wishes and happy honeymooning. Congratulations also to Travon August who recently tied the knot of joy to Kyle Moody. Congratulations to the lovely couple and best wishes. GREAT EXPECTATIONS Mrs. Angie’s baby already has a playmate and the last name will be Smith. That’s right, Mrs. Mandy is now preparing for bottles, diapers and booties for her own little cutie. So Hip Hip Hooray, as well all yell YEAA, to congratulate Mrs. Smith on her first bundle of joy - baby “twinkle toes” Smith. We are excited for you and Mrs. Kliebert and we pray that God continues to bless both of you and babies abundantly!
BARRE TALK
Newsline from competition circle
WELCOME BACK
Rhinestone Sisters
Wedding Bells
SAVING THE
BEST FOR LAST
JEFFERY KEYS
Newsline from competition circle
Rhinestone Sisters
Wedding Bells