A Dream Come True: Tremaine 2005 Teen Dancer of the Year
Tiffany Maher is a 12-year-old dance-aholic. While most kids her age spend their free time watching TV and hanging out with friends, Tiffany's spare time is spent at Dance FX, her hometown studio. This girl literally eats, sleeps, and breathes dance and enjoys every minute of it. Dancing turns a light on inside of Tiffany that shines brightly every time she steps on stage. Her ability to capture the aud-ience's attention is only one of the many reasons she is this years Tremaine Teen Dancer of the Year.
Tiffany has a strong love and devotion to dance. She began dancing at the age of 2 when she jumped out of her stroller to mimic the steps being taught in her older sister's dance class. Her passion only grew from there and soon she was not only taking class everyday but competing as well. Although dance consumes a large portion of her life, she never complains about the long rehearsals or the sore muscles for the simple reason that all this is forgotten when performing on stage.
When asked if she considered herself a competitive person Tiffany quickly shook her head and said, "No way." She is determined to do what others do but she doesn't do it to be better than them; she does it only to improve her own dancing abilities. This mindset is what kept her from falling apart when she wasn't chosen as Tremaine's Dancer of the Year for three consecutive years. This type of rejection would pressure most kids to quit, but not Tiffany. Not being chosen only made her want it more and so she would return home to her studio and work twice as hard to better prepare for next time.
Her chance came at Tremaine Nationals, held in the beginning of July in Orlando, Florida. This year Tiffany went not expecting to win Dancer of the Year, mainly due to her age. She had just turned 12 meaning she would be auditioning for the first time in the teen room, where the age ranges from12 to 15. She went in there with no expectations and danced like there was no tomorrow. Her impeccable technique, beautiful control and sparkling personality did not go unnoticed and in the end she was named 2005 Teen Dancer of the Year. Tiffany awoke the next morning believing it was all a dream until she saw her trophy, a large sparkling symbol of her greatest accomplishment thus far as a dancer.
Tiffany's winnings include attending every Tremaine Convention as an assist-ant, a Tremaine shirt, dance bag, dance shoes and a biography on the Tremaine web site. This opportunity is a great way for Tiffany to broaden her dance horizons and make new friends. Her advice to other aspiring dancers of the year is to never give up because if she had she wouldn't be where she is today.
Her determination and passion for dancing is what keeps her going, along with the love and support of her family, especially her big sister Brittany. Tiffany and her sister have been duet partners since she was 6. The girls are each other's biggest fans and harshest critics. They constantly push one another to get that leg higher and to go for that fifth pirouette. There's no doubt that dancing has created a special bond between the sisters. Tiffany will continue to use this bond, along with her dedication and love for dance, to accomplish her other dancing goals, which include one day owning her own dance studio and becoming a famous choreographer.