"A dance competition is the way a certain set of judges views a certain set of dancers, on a certain day. If we had done this competition yesterday, or if one of the judges had been someone else, chances are the results would somehow be different. It's good that we compete as dancers, because we compete in every day life. Competitions help to show us where we have been, where we are now, & where we have to aim to go in the future. It is important to remember that the true worth of anyone, as a dancer or person, will never be measured by a trophy."
-Richard DiSarno
DanZa Chicago Regionals 2019--
10 1st place, 3 2nd place, 1 3rd place, 1 5th place
Overall High Score Mini-Production (Youth Division)- Heaven I Know
1st Runner Up, Overall High Score Mini-Production (Youth Division)- Waltz of the Wilted Flowers
Overall High Score Line (Youth Division)- Fame
Overall High Score Duo/Trio (Prime Division)- 9 to 5
1st Runner Up, Overall High Score Duo/Trio (Prime Division)- Moon Mix
Overall High Score Small Group (Prime Division)- Express Yourself
1st Runner Up, Overall High Score Small Group (Prime Division)- Baby Mine
2nd Runner Up, Overall High Score Large Group (Youth Division)- Latin 19
3rd Runner Up Overall High Score, entire Youth Division (Zenith Award)- Heaven I Know
3rd Runner Up Overall High Score, entire Prime Division (Zenith Award)- 9 to 5
Best Precision (Youth Division)- Heaven I Know
Best Presentation (Youth Division)- Waltz of the Wilted Flowers
Best Precision (Prime Division)- Express Yourself
Best Presentation (Prime Division)- Baby Mine
Youth STAR Semi-Finalists- Sarah-Beth Haenitsch, Alexis McConnell, Amara Rascon
Advanced STAR Semi-Finalists- Marlie Beauchem, Taylor Spellman
DanZa Intensive Dynamo Recipients- Trinity Pankey, Chloe Stumpenhorst
DanZa Chicago Regionals 2018--
9 1st place, 4 2nd place, 1 3rd place, 2 5th place
Prime Overall High Score Mini-Production (Prime Division)- An Irish Celebration
Overall High Score Male Solo- I'm Gonna Be, Connor Beauchem
2nd Runner Up, Overall High Score Line (Youth Division)- Salsa
2nd Runner Up, Overall High Score Mini-Production (Youth Division)- Heart of Glass
Best Emotional Execution Advanced Division- Recovering, Taylor Spellman
Best Precision (Prime Division)- An Irish Celebration
Best Costume (Youth Division)- Rest In Peace
Great Aspirations Award (Prime Division)- Trinity Pankey
Youth STAR Semi-Finalists- Sarah-Beth Haenitsch, Alexis McConnell, Taylor Spellman
Advanced STAR Semi-Finalists- Connor Beauchem, Kylie Kutz
DanZa Intensive Dynamo Recipients- Jocelyn Bogatitus, Gabrielle Pepper
Taylor Spellman auditioned for, & accepted into K &P Productions.
DanZa Nationals 2017--
1st place National Champion Dances:
Chattanooga Choo Choo- Primary/Junior Team
The Waltz- Primary/Junior Team
My Beautiful Town- Primary/Junior Team
Dueling Banjos- Ballet Club
You Should Be Dancing- Primary/Junior/Senior Team
Can't Help Falling In Love- Soloist Megan Carney
Turn Out For What- Ballet Company
Heroes- Junior/Senior Team
Advanced Piano Lesson- Senior Team
Youth STAR Semi-Finalists:
Kennedi Rogers, Taylor Spellman, Taylor Renkes, Alexis McConnell, Sarah-Beth Haenitsch
Advanced STAR Semi-Finalists:
Kylie Gieson, Kaylee Rhodes, Kennedy Anderson, Olivia Minter
Overall Awards Nationals 2017:
Overall High Score Prime Mini-Production: My Beautiful Town
Best Presentation (Prime Division): My Beautiful Town
1st Runner Up Overall Prime Line: The Waltz
2nd Runner Up Overall Prime Line: Chattanooga Choo Choo
2017 DanZa Teacher of the Year: Paula Eastman
DanZa Appelton Regionals 2017
-All 10 group dances receive 1st place overall, in their categories
-All soloists receive 1st or 2nd place overall, in their categories
-Best Choreography Prime Division-- Paula Eastman (Chattanooga Choo Choo)
-Best Choreography Advanced Division-- Josie Berkeley (All the Pretty Things)
-Best Presentation Prime Division (I Won't Dance)
-Best Presentation Youth Division (Run to You)
-Best Presentation Advanced Division (Diamonds)
-Best Technical Execution Youth Division (What a Feeling)
-Best Costume Advanced Division (Advanced Piano Lesson)
-Peer Award (You Should Be Dancin')
-Great Aspirations Award Prime Division-- Darrion Pankey
-Great Aspirations Award Advanced Division-- Emma Rynekewicz
-Overall High Score Prime Duo/Trio (I Won't Dance)
-Overall High Score Prime Large Group (Dueling Banjos)
-1st runner up Overall High Score Prime Line (The Waltz)
-Overall High Score Prime Line (Chattanooga Choo Choo)
-Overall High Score Prime Production (My Beautiful Town)
-2nd runner up Zenith Overall High Score Prime Division (My Beautiful Town)
-1st runner up Zenith Overall High Score Prime Division (Dueling Banjos)
-Zenith Overall High Score Prime Division (I Won't Dance)
-Overall High Score Advanced Large Group (All the Pretty Things)
-Overall High Score Advanced Line (You Should Be Dancin')
-Overall High Score Advanced Production (Heroes)
-2nd runner up Zenith Overall High Score Advanced Division (Advanced Piano Lesson)
-1st runner up Zenith Overall High Score Advanced Division (All the Pretty Things)
-Zenith Overall High Score (You Should Be Dancin')
-4th runner up High Score Youth Solo-- Kennedi Rodgers
-3rd runner up High Score Youth Solo-- Sarah-Beth Haenitsch
-1st runner up High Score Youth Solo-- Taylor Spellman
-Overall High Score Youth Solo-- Taylor Renkes
Youth DanZa STAR Semi-Finalists:
Sarah-Beth Haenitsch, Alexis McConnell, Kennedi Rodgers, Taylor Renkes, Taylor Spellman, Alyssa Wolf
-5th runner up High Score Advanced Solo-- Kylie Gieson & Kennedy Anderson
-4th runner up High Score Advanced Solo-- Olivia Minter
-3rd runner up High Score Advanced Solo-- Kaylee Rhodes
-2nd runner up High Score Advanced Solo-- Megan Carney
-1st runner up High Score Advanced Solo-- Kylie Kutz
Advanced DanZa STAR Semi-Finalists:
Kennedy Anderson, Megan Carney, Kylie Gieson, Kylie Kutz, Olivia Minter, Kaylee Rhodes
DanZa Intensive Dynamo Recepients-
Jocelyn Bogatitus, Trinity Pankey, Joy Feofanov, Darrion Pankey, Kennedy Anderson, Kylie Gieson, Connor Beauchem
DanZa Intensive Scholarship Winners:
Jocelyn Bogatitus, Joy Feofanov, Connor Beauchem
DanZa Regionals 2016
-All 12 group dances receive 1st place overall, in their categories
-All soloists receive 1st or 2nd place overall, in their categories
-Best Choreography Prime Division-- Paula Eastman (Pie in the Face Polka)
-Best Choreography Youth Division-- Josie Berkeley (Brave)
-Best Presentation Prime Division (Great Balls of Fire)
-Outstanding Costume Advanced Division (Bird Set Free)
-Overall High Score Prime Small Group (The Humming)
-Overall High Score Prime Large Group (Great Balls of Fire)
-1st Runner Up High Score Prime Large Group (Pie in the Face Polka)
-Overall High Score Prime Division (Great Balls of Fire)
-1st Runner Up Overall High Score Prime Division (Pie in the Face Polka)
-2nd Runner Up Overall High Score Prime Division (The Humming)
-Overall High Score Youth Small Group (Great Is Thy Faithfullness)
-Overall High Score Youth Division (Great Is Thy Faithfullness)
-2nd Runner Up High Score Advanced Small Group (Bird Set Free)
-1st Runner Up High Score Advanced Large Group (Hot Knife)
-Overall High Score Advanced Line (Hand Jive)
-Overall High Score Advanced Mini-Production (Somebody to Love)
-1st Runner Up Overall High Score Advanced Mini-Production (Purple Rain)
-1st Runner Up High Score Youth Solo-- Taylor Spellman (Brave)
-2nd Runner Up High Score Youth Solo-- Taylor Renkes (Once Upon A Dream)
-3rd Runner Up High Score Youth Solo-- Marlie Beauchem (I Hear Music)
-Great Aspirations Award Prime Division-- Darrion Pankey
-Great Aspirations Award Youth Division-- Taylor Renkes
-Youth Female DanZa STAR Semi-Finalists: (Dancer of the Year)
-Kennedi Rogers, Taylor Renkes, Marlie Beauchem, Taylor Spellman
-Advanced Female DanZa STAR Semi-Finalists: (Dancer of the Year)
-Erika Renkes, Kennedy Anderson, Megan Carney, Kylie Kutz, Kaylee Rhodes, Brittany Considine, Olivia Minter, Katie Dewey
-DanZa Intensive Dynamo Recipients:
-Trinity Pankey, Carmella DeLosSantos, Karissa Dubois, Ana Diedrichs, Kaylee Rhodes, Katie Dewey
-DanZa Intensive Dynamo Scholarship Winner:
-Ana Diedrichs
2015 DanceAmerica Nationals--
1st Place National Champion Dances:
Make Some Noise- Primary Team
After the Rain- Junior Team
Material Girls- Ballet Club
River Deep, Mountain High- Primary, Junior, & Senior Teams
The Fountains- Junior & Senior Teams
Tetris- Ballet Company
Slow Me Down- Senior Team
Teen Dancer of the Year Semi-Finalists:
Taylor Renkes, Taylor Spellman, Kennedy Anderson
Senior Dancer of the Year Semi-Finalists:
Erika Renkes, Brittany Considine
Best Choreography Nominee Junior Division-- Josie Berkeley (After the Rain)
Best Choreography Nominee Senior Divison-- Josie Berkeley (The Fountains)
DanceAmerica Regionals 2015:
17 First Place Overall
Overall High Score Group Senior Division (The Fountains)
Best Choreography Senior Divison (Josie Berkeley- The Fountains)
Overall High Score Production Senior Division (The Fountains)
1st Runner Up High Score Large Group Senior Division (The Godfather)
Overall High Score Line Senior Division (River Deep, Mountain High)
1st Runner Up High Score Line Senior Division (Slow Me Down)
Best Presentation Junior Division (Fire)
2nd Runner Up High Score Large Group Junior Division (Fire)
Teen Dancer of the Year Semi-Finalists:
Taylor Renkes, Taylor Spellman, Kennedy Anderson
Senior Dancer of the Year Semi-Finalists:
Erika Renkes, Brittany Considine
Highlights from years' past:
Dances selected to perform at DisneyWorld, Epcot Center, & Hollywood Studios:
Pioneers of the Warped Acid (1992)
The Transformation of Mr. Hyde (1992)
Voices (1996)
Chicago Strut Your Stuff (1996)
Back to the Earth (1998)
Sing A Simple Song of Freedom (2005)
Agony (2010)
National Champion Dances:
Moonshadows (1992)
Never Walk Alone (1992)
Modern x 6 (1996)
Chicago Strut Your Stuff (1996)
Voices (1996)
Mama's Casserole (1998)
500 Miles (1998)
Back to the Earth (1998)
Body Language
Blue (2006)
Little Green Creatures (2006)
Agony (2009)
Baby Mine (2011)
Life Is A Celebration (2011)
Hard Knock Life (2013)
Dream On (2013)
Kashmir (2013)
Tetris (2015)
Make some Noise (2015)
After the Rain (2015)
Material Girls (2015)
Slow Me Down (2015)
River Deep, Mountain High (2015)
The Fountains (2015)
Regionals 1996:
Overall High Score Senior Group (Modern x 6)
Best Choreography-- Paula Eastman (Body of work)
Best Costume (Modern x 6)
Nationals 1996:
Best Choreography Nominee-- Paula Eastman (Modern x 6)
Overall High Score Primary Division (Mama's Casserole)
Regionals 1998:
Best Choreography-- Paula Eastman & Josie Berkeley (Body of Work)
Nationals 1998:
Best Choreography-- Paula Eastman (Back to the Earth)
Nationals 1998:
Best Emotional Execution-- John Coffey (The Transformation of Mr. Hyde)
Regionals 1999:
Best Presentation (Simply Irresistable)
Regionals 2000:
Best Emotional Execution-- Sarah Needham (Shadows on My Soul)
Regionals 2001:
Most Entertaining (You're Not Alone)
Regionals 2002:
Best Choreography-- Josie Berkeley (Fire Wire)
Regionals 2004:
Dancer of the Year Nominees:
Mandy Curia, Heather Smith
Regionals 2006:
Overall High Score Primary Line (Lewis Boogie)
Best Precision (Lewis Boogie)
Best Costume (The Machine)
Overall High Score Senior Line (The Machine)
Most Promising Performer-- Laura Dahm
Regionals 2008:
Best Choreography-- Josie Berkeley (Piano Lesson)
Regionals 2009:
Dancer of the Year Nominee:
Stephanie Kennay
Nationals 2010:
Best Choreography Nominee- Josie Berkeley (Agony)
Regionals 2011:
Overall High Score Intermediate Production (Dream Is Collapsing)
Regionals 2013:
Overall High Score Senior Production (Dream On)
Overall High Score Senior Line (Kashmir)
1st Runner Up High Score Line (Rock & Roll Tap)
Best Precision (Paint It Black)
Regionals 2014:
Overall High Score Senior Production (The Sound Of Silence)
1st Runner Up High Score Production (Blues Brothers)
Overall High Score Senior Line (Sing, Sing, Sing)
1st Runner Up High Score Senior Line (Meant)
Best Presentation (Sing, Sing, Sing)