Gold Coast Arts Center's Competition Dance Team Wins Awards In Their First Competition Season

Some people associate March with college basketball madness, but for dance students at the Gold Coast Arts Center, the month's most important contests were those at the 2019 'Step Up Dance Competition,' which took place on March 9 and 10 in Middle Village, Queens and EnerGy Dance competition March 16th in Hauppauge, LI. Students competed in the categories of small group, duos, and solos.

In the Step Up Dance Competition Gold Coast Arts Center's students won nine trophies, seven of which were awarded 1st place. The dancers performed in the genres of Jazz, Lyrical, and Musical Theater.

At EnerGy National Dance Competition GCAC dances won Platinum and High Gold awards, as well as winning 1st and 3rd overalls in their ages divisions. Juliet Sha also competed in the EnerGy improv dance competition and received a full scholarship to the Energy National Dance Convention.

The winners, who were coached by dance director Megan Clancy, included Madeleine Chin, Kyra Capodanno, Leeron Elian, Jillian Khadavi, Amanda Siony, Arianna Siony, Brielle Mairzadeh, Maya Millman, Brielle Nassi, Sophia Rosenberg, Juliet Sha, and Francesca Tsang.

Two of the winners, Juliet Sha and Kyra Capodanno, had an additional reason to celebrate. They were accepted into the world-renowned Joffrey Ballet's intensive summer program for Jazz and Contemporary dance.

"Our dance students have a lot of fun during their classes and rehearsals, but they also work hard and take their skills seriously," says Megan Clancy, Dance Director at the Gold Coast Arts Center. "Their medals, certificates, plaques and trophies are well deserved."

The dance team has one more competition on the schedule for 2019.

For more information about the Gold Coast Arts Center, and its wide range of programs, please call 515-829-2570 or visit www.goldcoastarts.org.

About the Gold Coast Arts Center
The Gold Coast Arts Center is a 501(c)(3) organization dedicated to promoting the arts through education, exhibition, performance and outreach. Located on the North Shore of Long Island, it has brought the arts to tens of thousands of people throughout the region for over 20 years. Among the Center's offerings are its School for the Arts, which holds year-round classes in visual and performing arts for students of all ages and abilities; a free public art gallery; a concert and lecture series; film screenings and discussions; the annual Gold Coast International Film Festival; and initiatives that focus on senior citizens and underserved communities. These initiatives include artist residencies, after-school programs, school assemblies, teacher-training workshops and parent-child workshops. The Gold Coast Arts Center is an affiliate of The John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts Partners in Education program, and the National Gallery of Art in Washington, D.C. More information can be found at www.goldcoastarts.org.

Photo caption: Great Neck residents Leeron Elian, Maya Millman, Juliet Sha, and Kyra Capodanno performing at a recent dance competition.

Photo credit: Gold Coast Arts Center