Studio One’s Elite Competition Team started out the season by attending two dance workshops in November. At Oklahoma Dance Masters Association convention, held at Quartz Mountain Lodge, students received scholarships and special recognition for excellence in jazz, ballet, and tap. Out of six total scholarships given, Studio One students received five. Molly Little was awarded the Junior Jazz Scholarship and Lexi Neighbors was awarded the Senior Jazz Scholarship. The Junior Tap Scholarship went to Emily Kate Pickett and the Junior and Senior Ballet Scholarships went to Renee Paxton and Morgan Gover. These students will attend the ODMA Fall 2012 convention free of charge. Students attended Showstopper Convention in Grapevine, Texas where they took classes from renowned dancers/instructors such as Twitch from So You Think You Can Dance, Rizzo (fondly labled the Queen of Hip Hop), Angel Roberts, Hayley Mac, Blue Cervini and many more. Both conventions gave the students the opportunity to take different styles of classes from instructors from the East coast, West coast, and throughout the United States. Studio One Instructor Shannon Haigler said, “Our Showstopper experience was amazing for the students. It was a great beginning of the season motivator and very rewarding seeing our students noticed by these amazing instructors!

The Elite Team attended four competition beginning in February and ending in April. Showbiz, Talent on Parade and Encore were in Oklahoma City and Showstopper was held in Fort Worth, Texas. The soloists received the following awards: Kassidy Evans (solo & group performer) - 1st place, Top 1st, Platinum & Overall 1st, and Platinum & Overall 5th; Lexi Neighbors (2 solos, 1 group & duet performer) - Diamond 2nd, Top 1st, Gold, 1st, Elite Top 1st High Gold & Overall 4th and Gold; Morgan Gover (solo & group performer) - 1st Place, Elite Top 1st, High Gold, Platinum; Molly Little (solo, group & duet performer) - 1st Place, Elite Top First, High Gold, Double Platinum and Overall 2nd; Renee Paxton (solo performer) - 1st Place, Elite Top 1st & Overall 7th, High Gold, Gold; Jamie Timmons (solo performer) - Diamond 1st & Overall 2nd, Elite Top First & Overall 3rd, High Gold & Overall 4th, Platinum & Overall 3rd; Grace Furfey (solo performer) - Ruby 2nd, Top First, High Gold & Overall 7th, Gold; Mackenzie Wood (solo & duet performer) - Ruby 2nd, Elite Top 1st, High Gold, Gold. The duets received the following awards: Mackenzie Wood & Jacinda McQuiggan - Ruby 2nd, Top 1st, Overall 10th, and two Gold awards; Molly Little & Lexi Neighbors - Diamond 1st, Elite Top 1st, High Gold, Gold and Overall 6th; Kassidy Evans & Lexi Neighbors - Diamond 1st, Elite Top 1st & Overall 9th, High Gold, Platinum & Overall 4th. The Junior Elite Jazz Group consisting of: Isabella Darby, Kylee James, Molly Little, Brittany Lundmark and Emily Kate Pickett received 1st Place, Elite Top 1st & Overall 5th, High Gold & Overall 3rd, Platinum & Overall 5th. Additional awards include: Morgan Gover received a convention scholarship to the Encore Nationals in Las Vegas and to the Top Stars Performance Team at the Talent on Parade Nationals Convention and Competition; Jamie Timmons received a 1st runner-up costume award and a 1st runner-up Diamond Miss Showbiz award; the Junior Jazz group was awarded the “Dynamic Divas” award at Encore.

“It has been such an inspiration as a teacher to watch these students grow as dancers, as performers and into confident, mature young ladies,” says instructor Shannon Haigler. Gabrielle Barnett, Studio One owner and director stated, “What a great year this has been adding a competitive team to our dance school! I am blown away at how quickly our dancers have improved in all areas of dance and performance. These young ladies are learning valuable life lessons through this positive and rewarding experience. Watching these ladies exit the competition stage and delight in their good performance is the most rewarding feeling as a teacher! I am hooked!” Results of the Showstopper competition will be posted at StudioOneAltus.com.