Best Hip-Hop Choreography
About the Superlative Awards
The Year in Review 2008 Superlative contest on DancerUniverse.com got the online dance community buzzing with interest and anticipation. Dance studios from all over the country logged in and uploaded a total of 189 numbers. Then, they sat back and waited anxiously while thousands of readers like you voted for their favorites.
Numbers eligible for the Superlative contest contained anywhere from four to 40 dancers and covered a range of disciplines, from ballet to hip-hop and even a special Teacher of the Year contest to honor those hardworking and dedicated instructors. In addition, there are two winners of the special Editor’s Choice Award, chosen by members of the Dancer Publishing team. These videos did not receive top scores, but they were so exceptional in style, choreography and execution that we had to spotlight them.
Talent, creativity and true artistry abound, the Superlative contest gave studios the opportunity to display their work and readers the chance to express their opinions. The contest wrapped up on December 22nd, at which point we tallied the scores and determined the winners.
In the following you’ll find biographical information about each studio as well as the back-story behind each dance. Look out for the fun facts accompanying every article—they’ll give you a greater sense of just how much work went into creating these award-winning routines. We know you’re itching to see who won, so without further ado, here are the 2008 Superlative winners!
Best Hip-Hop Choreography
Temecula Dance Company – “Toy Story”
Temecula, CA
temeculadancecompany.com
Sixteen years ago, Lani Morel and her husband Ed founded Temecula Dance Company. Now, the 1,700 dancers train in two buildings that contain a total of thirteen studios. The competition team made a name for itself six years ago, with the help of artistic director Jimmy Peters, and currently 154 dancers between the ages three and 19 continue to show their performance excellence.
Choreographer Erik Saradpon had the idea to spoof the movie “Toy Story.” Each of the eight dancers dressed as a different toy or cartoon character. With bulky costumes that hindered the large movements, and dancers who were new to the team, the challenges of making this dance were formidable. But each and every dancer pulled up, and the results were fantastic. “Toy Story” entertained, fascinated, and captured the audience. Most of all, it made the viewers want to get up and dance!!
Fun Fact: The routine was also inspired by the ‘Nsync music video, “It’s Gonna Be Me.”