The legacy of excellence, passion and artistry continue to be recognised and rewarded to the dancers from Jan Pianta School of Dance (JPSD), who recently competed at the fourth East Gippsland Performing Arts Eisteddfod (EGPAE) in June.
With only seven dancers competing from JPSD, the rewards from this small handful of dedicated dancers and their teachers was truly outstanding.
Apart from the dancers committing to regular weekly classes, some training up to six classes a week, all the dancers who competed at this eisteddfod take private lessons for the privilege of learning solo routines, many learning up to eight routines.
The EGPAE only permits dancers to enter up to five solo routines, so dancers choose what style they wish to perform when they have more than one solo.
Melbourne-based adjudicator Christopher Politis, a trained dancer and tutor with many years’ experience having performed in numerous shows with Opera Australia, receiving International contracts and playing the lead role of Toro in the touring production of Matador, just to name a few, enjoyed the quality training and performance skills of JPSD dancers.
In the general dance sections awarded the dancers with the following:
First place: Charli McInnes, 10 years and under 12 for classical ballet and jazz; Ella McInnes, eight years and under 10 for classical ballet and lyrical; Heather Jenkins 14 year and over for demi character; Imogen Spanton, 12 years and under 15 hip hop; Iris Miller, 12 years and under 14 contemporary; Olivia McInnes, six years and under eight classical ballet, demi character, jazz and tap; McInnes Trio (Charli, Ella, Olivia), under 12 years demi character.
Second place: Charli McInnes, 10 years and under 12 demi character and tap; Ella McInnes, eight years and under 10 demi character; Heather Jenkins, 14 years and over lyrical; Olivia McInnes, six years and under eight lyrical; Heather Jenkins, Imogen Spanton, Alicia Worley, 16 years and over hip hop trio.
Third place: Ella McInnes, eight years and under 10 jazz.
Honourable mentions: Charli McInnes. 10 years and under hip hop; Heather Jenkins, 14 years and over jazz; Iris Miller, 12 years and under 14 jazz.
Further exciting awards for JPSD dancers came at the conclusion of the eisteddfod when adjudicator Chris Politis, after four days of adjudicating more than 100 dancers from more than 12 dance schools representing East Gippsland, Gippsland, South Gippsland and West Gippsland, presented four of the seven JPSD dancers with special awards:
– Most promising dancer seven years and under: Olivia McInnes.
– Most promising dancer eight years and under 10: Ella McInnes.
– Encouragement award 16 years and over: Heather Jenkins.
The Bolger Family Standout Performance Perpetual Award went to Iris Miller for her contemporary solo choreographed by Jan Pianta.
“I was waiting the whole Eisteddfod to watch a solo such as this.
I would pay to see Iris perform her solo again,” Mr Politis said.
