Friday, November 6, 2009 10:34 PM CST
'Showcase of the Stars' at MHS brings dance education, competition together
By NATHANIEL WEST, For the JG/T-C
MATTOON — The “Showcase of the Stars” clinic and pageant at Mattoon High School fuses dance education and competition today and Saturday.
The workshop today also will give area dancers and color guard members a chance to learn from a professional, Thayne Jasperson, who found success on the show “So You Think You Can Dance?”
On Saturday, MHS will host the Illinois Drill Team Association pageant. In addition to crowning a Miss IDTA, the event will feature competition by individuals and teams from 25 schools across the state.
Admission to the pageant is $5 at the door. The contest begins at 10:30 a.m., and the final awards will be presented at 6:15 p.m.
But the event will focus as much on teaching as competition, said Malia Turner, MHS dance coach.
“Anymore these days, there’s so much emphasis placed on winning. This is (a) place for them to showcase their talents” and learn, she said.
MHS hosted the IDTA contest last year as well. This year, leaders tried more to model the two-day event after national drill team pageant in California, where the winner of Illinois contest advances.
The national event includes a clinic with a master choreographer, as well as a pageant.
Turner said the IDTA secured the participation of Jasperson, a finalist in season four of “So You Think You Can Dance?” and dancer in both “High School Musical” and “High School Musical 2.”
“It’s very exciting,” said Turner. “It’s the first time Mattoon has hosted someone of this caliber.”
During the clinic, participants will be exposed to an array of teaching methods. “They’ll be able to take home different styles and variations,” said Turner.
In the pageant portion of “Showcase of the Stars,” contestants will be judged in modeling, interview skills and solo dancing. The top 15 finishers will be announced at about 4:15 p.m., and they will re-perform their dance routines about 6:15 p.m.
While high school juniors and seniors will be vying for the title of Miss IDTA, younger participants have a shot at the Teen Miss title, and winners in other categories will move on to the IDTA state contest at the University of Illinois Assembly Hall in March.
MHS students seeking to be Miss IDTA are Whitney Miller, Gretchen Olmsted and Maggie Price, all seniors.
Local Junior Miss contestants include Macy Brown and Emmy Conyers from Mattoon Middle School.
MHS Color Guard member Courtney St. John will be competing in the solo flag category.
MHS pairs of Miller and Olmsted from the Varsity Wavettes, Rebecca Hunt and Hannah Austin of the MHS Color Guard, and Courtney Beals and Courtney St. John of the MHS Color Guard will be judged in the duo category, while Miller, Price and Stefani Atkinson of the Varsity Wavettes will compete in the trio category.
Contact Nathaniel West at nwest@jg-tc.com or 238-6860.
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Mama says wrote on Nov 7, 2009 2:12 AM: