Most people have heard of the battle of the bands, but it also exists in the dance world.
And at the Dance Strong Festival in St. Albert, Footworks Dance Academy won that battle with its jazz performance Run Boy Run, by its troupe of the same name.
Footworks owner and artistic director Irene Widdup said every spring the school competes in the dance festival circuit, which concludes with what is perhaps the most prestigious of the festivals, Dance Strong May 2-5.
Widdup compared dance festivals to music festivals where dancers perform in various categories, single and group, in front of a professional adjudicator where they are scored and given advice on how to improve their performances.
On the last day of each of the festivals, schools compete in the “battle of the dance” where each school’s highest marked entry is entered into a final dance-off or gala. In St. Albert, Footworks, had two troupes qualify for the gala, Birds of a Feather and Run Boy Run.
At the end of the gala, Footworks Run Boy Run was at the top of the prestigious group.
However, Kade Steinbring said although he was confident in his and his fellow troupe members ability, he wasn’t sure if the program itself was good enough to win over adjudicators and more importantly audiences.
“The first time we performed it at a festival was shocking,” he said. “I don’t think any of us really knew how good it was until we got off the stage and had a chance to take in the audience’s reaction. We then realized how special it was.”
Instructor Alana Friend unveiled the creation to the troupe, which based on Woodkid’s alternative music song Run Boy Run, in September. They started practicing the choreography shortly after and started working on it in earnest in January.
The reason why the group believes it is so good is that when they perform the number on stage, the audience can see the energy that is put in to the performance.
“Walking into the change room after we perform [Run Dog Run] people always stop me and tell me how good the dance was and how much they enjoyed it,” Neils Van Loon said.
As for what other moments stand out in the troupe’s participation the festival circuit, Lunay Wepner, who earned a scholarship at a summer dance camp for one of her individual performances, what she enjoys the most after performing, is making friendships with dancers from other schools.
She said before performing, dancers are often behind the stage for as much as an hour and a half preparing their hair and makeup, costumes or warming up.
“I know we are technically competing against each other but when we are backstage, people aren’t competitive and we just get a chance to talk,” she said.
Steinbring added his favourite thing about the festivals is how the group has grown together, noting the majority of Run Dog Run have danced together from many years, in various formations, last year it was part of Price is Right.
“We have become a pretty tight solid group,” he said.
Cassandra Chernoff agreed, saying she is proud of what the group has accomplished.
“To be from Footworks, a relatively small school, from a small town and to be able to compete against schools and dancers who have more opportunities to train and travel and be at their level and even beat them, just makes me feel so proud,” she said.
