Only a few weeks after lighting up the stage at the Evolution National Dance Competition on the Gold Coast, Mount Gambier’s Halle and Beau Anderson were both named as the outright champions of their respective age groups.
The teenagers were overcome with emotion when their national wins were announced during a live Facebook stream on Sunday night. Beau said she struggled to hold back the tears when her name was revealed alongside the big prize.
“I was crying because I did not expect it at all,” she said. “I am still a bit in shock just thinking about it.” Halle also said the achievement is yet to sink in. “To win it was absolutely amazing,” she said. “I feel so honoured and happy to achieve one of my big goals,” Halle said.
After collecting a total of six national titles at the event in Queensland, the young sisters were supposed to dance for the major prize in the Evo Elite section against the top five contenders from around Australia. However, COVID-19 protocols cancelled the showpiece gala grand final and forced all competitors to race back home.
Then the judges examined a video of each competitor’s champ dance and settled on who would be national champion. To announce each winner, the competition held a live Facebook stream and all of the families and supporters tuned in with bated breath.
Just to reach the top three was the Anderson sisters’ goal, but to win was their ultimate dream. Halle achieved the feat with her lyrical solo “Empty Chairs” and said her passion while performing it may have proved the difference in the category.
“It is quite an emotional dance because it is about the French revolution,” she said. “I think it touched people and stood out.”
The big prize for Halle is a trip to Sydney to attend the Australian Dance Festival where she can hone her craft at an elite workshop. Beau’s 12-13 Evo Elite title-winning performance was her extravagant “Applause” solo portraying an image of Lady Gaga.
She said her meaningful moves dancing around a rolling carpet set her apart. “My choreography was cool with a special story behind it,” Beau said. “There was a lot more emotion in my routine, so it made me stand out a bit more.”
For her hard work, Beau took home a free trip to Melbourne’s Victorian Dance Festival where she will attend a multiple day convention.
Both of the girls’ dances were inspired by their coach Lucy Ellis, who is just a small part of the sisters’ big team. But of all the people involved, Halle said her family was particularly proud and are still coming to terms with Sunday night’s events.
“We are still shocked and excited,” she said. “It was definitely an unforgettable moment for our family for us to win both age groups at the same time.”
