A competition team in its inaugural year at Smithfield’s Footnotes School of Dance recently won top awards at two regional competitions.

“Motherless Child,” a modern group dance performed by Lenna Sienbenbrunner, Emily Taylor, Alexis Cartledge, Emma Kimball and Emma Dvorak, placed first overall and won a Judge’s Choice award in the High Platinum division at the Southeast Showdown in Farmville in March, earning the quintet a scholarship to attend a national competition in Orlando, Florida, in June.

The quintet reprised their performance at the Hollywood Vibe Competition in Norfolk in April, earning the Studio Excellence Award for Footnotes. Footnotes was one of six studios out of 30 across the eastern United States to win the award.

At Hollywood Vibe, Footnotes’ dancers were able to take classes from world-renown dance teasers, including Sasha Farber of “Dancing with the Stars.” Mia Babb and Caroline Joyner, who each won first place overall in the High Platinum division at Hollywood Vibe, and third-place winner Brooklyn Rosenthal-Brown, were each awarded scholarships to attend classes with world-renown teachers in Orlando in June.

“There is a lot of talent in our studio and the dancers wanted to try regional competitions to gain more exposure and experience in dance,” said Footnotes Director Lauren Babb.

The team consists of 15 dancers ranging in age from 7 to 18. Previously, Footnotes has performed in community events, including the annual downtown Smithfield Christmas parade, a joint production of “The Nutcracker” at the Peebles Theatre in Newport News with Southside Ballet, also of Smithfield, and in the nonprofit 757 Headspace performance “Open Floor.”

“For this being their very first competition season ever, these dancers won the very top awards in their categories and their age groups almost across the board,” Babb said.

Dance competitions are scored on a point scale and then compared to other dancers in each age group and category to determine the highest overall winners, Babb said.

“Supernatural,” a lyrical group dance, also won first overall highest score in the High Platinum division. Solo award winners are as follows:

Southeast Showdown:

• Brooklyn Rosenthal-Brown, High Platinum, first overall highest score
• Caroline Joyner, High Platinum, first overall highest score, kindness award
• Quinn Conover and Cassidy Pearce, High Platinum, first overall highest score
• Mia Babb, High Platinum, second overall highest score, kindness award
• Cassidy Pearce, High Platinum, third overall highest score
• Lenna Sienbenbrunner and Emma Dvorak, High Platinum, third overall highest score

 

Hollywood Vibe

• Caroline Joyner, High Platinum, first overall highest score, national scholarship
• Mia Babb, High Platinum, first overall highest score, national scholarship
• Brooklyn Rosenthal-Brown, High Platinum, third overall highest score, national scholarship
• Lenna Sienbenbrunner and Emma Dvorak, High Platinum
• Cassidy Pearce, High Platinum
• Quinn Conover and Kayden Conover, Platinum
• Bella Jordan, High Gold