WESTFIELD—The Boys and Girls Club competitive dance team scored big last week in Worcester.
Members of the competitive dance team recently competed in the Diva Dance Competition, a national competition that benefits the Cornelia de Lang Syndrome (CdLS) Foundation. The Boys and Girls Club team did well, taking home several awards and honors.
“I am beyond proud of them, they completely blew me away,” Mallory Wray, cultural enrichment coordinator for the Boys and Girls Club of Westfield, said. “This is our third year in competition, some of the dancers are new but those who have been with us improved and have so much more confidence on stage now, they did a really beautiful job.”
All Boys & Girls Club dance competition team members. (Azia Redick, Makenzie Mazza, Vivian Szostek, Kira Stoops, Alyssa Ortiz, Alyssa Rodriguez, Gracia Jorgensen, Destiny Bean, Brianna Kot, Isabella Stowell-Marcoux, Alexis Luciano). Photo provided by Boys and Girls Club of Westfield
According to Wray, the group scored well in the competition. In fact, one group scored well even without music. At one point, the lyrical dance team was about to take the stage but technical difficulties hit and music didn’t play. So, the lyrical dance team performed without music and in the process, scored a 287 out of 300. This score was good enough to give them the second-highest ranking prize, the Ultimate Sapphire Award. In addition, they also won the CdLS Award for their performance, which is given to the team who encompasses the spirit of competition.
According to a press release from the club written by Westfield State University intern Rebecca Leblanc, “other successes during the competition came from the team’s tap trio. The trio competed in the Junior Duo/Trio category and won a Sapphire Award, the Junior Duo/Trio High Score Award, and perhaps most impressive, the Junior Top Overall Score Award in their skill category.”
The two top winners for the Boys and Girls Club also received entrance into the next Diva Dance Competition due to their success in Worcester.
If you are interested in dance, whether you are a child or an adult, you can call Wray at the Boys and Girls Club of Westfield at (413)562-2301 and find out more information. Summer classes will be booking soon.
The CdLS Foundation, according to their website, “is a family support organization that exists to ensure early and accurate diagnosis of CdLS, promote research into the causes and manifestations of the syndrome, and help people with a diagnosis of CdLS, and others with similar characteristics, make informed decisions throughout their lives.”
CdLS is a rare genetic disorder that can cause a number of mental, cognitive and physical challenges, according to the website.
