Best Props
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 Props
Steppin’ Out The Studio – “Big Noise”
Lee’s Summit, MO
steppinout4kids.com
In 1989, Lee’s Summit, MO high school theater teacher Phyllis Demoret created her own performing arts business. At the time, the fledgling studio was housed in a church choir room, but within a few months they had completely run out of space. Nearly 20 years later, Steppin’ Out The Studio has grown from 76 students to nearly 500 yearly, with 150 dancers in the competition program. The staff is comprised of 15 teachers, who have all been involved with the studio for years, and their styles range from ballet to acrobatics, cheerleading and a professional vocal department. While the challenges of developing a cohesive team can be daunting, the results are worth it, and the joy of training and performing as a group is the most important aspect of Steppin’ Out. Phyllis Demoret’s dream studio continues to thrive, and she isn’t done yet. “I’d love to franchise my business by training and mentoring potential teachers... I’m also hungering for the opportunity to audition and perform again,” the already successful Demoret says. For this dance teacher, the creativity never stops.
For Demoret, choreographing production numbers is the most enjoyable part of the year. That love and enthusiasm is clearly evident in this piece. “I wanted something flashy and entertaining. When I found the music ‘Big Noise,’ by Bette Midler, I knew I had found the perfect piece,” explains Demoret. Using five rolling, rain-curtain panels as props, the dancers take advantage of the wide musical range within the song, changing rhythms and styles continuously as they appear and disappear through the ‘doorways’ provided by the panels. The flashy red costumes only enhance the visual appeal of the routine. The incredibly upbeat personality of the piece made smooth transitioning into the partnering aspects of the routine extremely difficult to perfect, while maintaining the visual of continuous movement; it proved to be the most challenging part of rehearsals. But the hard work has paid off. “This routine, as challenging as it was to stage, was a crowd favorite, and defines the personality, performance quality and training at Steppin’ Out,” says Demoret.
Fun Fact: It took eight to ten rehearsals to complete the choreography for “Big Noise.”