This regional season has been the most accomplished of our 30 year history!!
Dance Theatre of Rhode Island
Season 30, One for the books
Just after the Holiday break in December, competition team rehearsals begin. This season we had planned 4 regional events as well as one national for the team. This particular year though, was full of surprises.
January opens the season for us. It began in Mystic, CT with the Access Broadway regional. We have been attending this regional for 15 years and brought 35 routines to this event. With numerous over all high scores and accolades we were crowned the production champion for the 5th year in a row and the best dance school for the 8th. It was a great way to open up the new year.
Early March was the next of the planned regional in Sturbridge, Ma at Turn it Up Dance Challenge. This event was an optional competition for the team members as we are starting to develop our first travel team to tour the country. We had only entered 7 routines at this event, two solos, one duo, two small groups, one large group and one production. All of our routines earned platinum scores and multiple placements in overalls. Topping the list of awards were Charlie for best large group and Egypt for best production. In addition to these outstanding accomplishments, the judges nominate Charlie for a prestigious Industry Dance Award!
Next up we were due to prepare for Lowell, Ma regional with Starbound National Talent Competition in mid April. Prior to that however, we received an invitation to compete at a one day only event in Woodbridge, VA against Abby Lee Miller's
new team to be filmed for Dance Moms!!! We were overwhelmed with the opportunity and of course could never turn it down. Parents pulled together and we contacted local businesses for sponsorship's, chartered a bus and finished some new routines combined with a few older ones to represent us on this National Stage We traveled down the day before as a team and competed with some of the best dancers in the country!!! Dance Theatre was seen multiple times when episode 7 of season 8 aired in July on Lifetime. DTRI Dancers held their own standing next to the ALDC during the awards and walked away with several high scores!! It was truly a great event and experience.
Back to real life and now we were a little bit behind in preparation for Starbound Lowell. Extra rehearsals were added and at this point we are at 7 days a week, late nights and long weekends. The team worked extra hard bringing 46 new routines to this event. Multiple high scores, judges awards, top ten overalls, production champion with our first new one for the season “Wonka”- it was a busy weekend competition and we couldn't have been happier with our performances.
Soon after that, we got a second invitation to compete against the Dance Moms and film in Paramus, New Jersey. We trained 7 days a week for the event on Saturday May 11. Our team traveled down on Friday night, some on Saturday morning and one again competed with some of the Nations best talent. Dance Theatre of Rhode Island stood head to head on the awards stage winning multiple awards.
Only one week later we are scheduled to compete at the Starbound Hartford Regional. Classes resume the brutal 7 day a week schedule as we finalize costumes and routines for the next regional. Parents and staff stay late for rehearsal and costume fittings as the busiest regional season comes to an end. The team didn't falter once winning multiple high scores, top ten placements and overall high scoring group of the weekend with "The Nightmare".
After doubling our previous seasons regional schedule, the team settled in for Nationals preparation. It was a long regional season but one for the record books as Dance Theatre continues to make a National name for itself competing with some of the countries best dance studios, and of course, leaving our mark.