Mount Gambier’s Hype Dance Studio recently brought home major success after a busy weekend at the high-level Follow Your Dreams dancing competition.
Hype Dance co-director Kim Cella said they had to juggle lots of balls in the air with the Follow Your Dreams competition commencing on Friday and concluding on Sunday, while sandwiched in between was the Australian Dance Crew Championships on Saturday.
With so much on the line around 200 Hype Dance students travelled to Adelaide and Cella said they achieved lots of solid placings and many first placings in the Follow Your Dreams competition.
“The Friday of Follow Your Dreams was a novice competition, so for students that were doing solos and had not received a first or second in the last two years,” she said.
“They got to compete against other students of that level, which is fantastic for our students because it helps to boost their confidence and gives them a chance to aim for those higher placings.
“We are super proud because every single one of our students placed and honestly you cannot ask for anymore.
“They all went out there and gave it their absolute best.”
Cella said from the start of the school term they began planning routines and what each class was going to set as their goal for the year.
“I think the change in mentality for our students this year has been really important, everyone wants to go out on stage and give their best and aim for a win,” she said.
“But what we found more important this year is that we set an individual goal and if we meet that goal then we have won, it’s not about the placing.”
Cella said the first term was “really challenging” due to COVID hitting Mount Gambier as school did not return in the first two weeks while heavy restrictions were in place on how many students could be in a room.
“I think it was six weeks in when the restrictions eased significantly so that made our lives a lot easier,” she said.
“The teachers were preparing and trying to teach in-person as well as manage students on Zoom and then also recording themselves doing the choreography to send to parents so the students were able to learn at home.
“There’s been a lot of work that’s gone into preparing the kids and actually getting to a point where we can get out on the stage.
“The students have been so resilient throughout the whole process and they just go with whatever is happening on the day.
“I think it’s really important to note that our kids are just taking everything in their stride.”
