Caulfield School of Dance student Casey Jaya’s video submission to the 2021 CLCMDF Ballet competition. Casey, age 6, was awarded the Challenge Trophy for Solo Classical Ballet 8 years and under!
The competition which was conducted entirely virtually, had small classes this year, but all the participating students danced at a very high caliber. We are very proud of Casey, Aerin, Thea, and Lorena for dancing their pieces so beautifully for the camera in our studios in early January. Adjudications by Zoom meetings were over this past weekend and our results are:
Aerin Chow placed 1st in her competing class of 4 dancers and was awarded the Kacey Mae-Cossins Memorial Solo Demi-Pointe 9 & 10 years Trophy over 2 age divisions for her Solo Demi-Pointe – Open – 10 years, choreographed and prepared by Cori Caulfield.
Thea Harmse placed 2nd in her first ever ballet solo competition
Thea Harmse placed 2nd in Solo Demi-Pointe – Open – 11 years in a competing class of 3 dancers with her first ever ballet solo(!), choreographed and prepared by Cori Caulfield.
Casey Jaya placed 1st for her Solo Demi-Pointe – Open – 6 years and under, choreographed by Vivian Liu and prepared by Vivian Liu with the assistance of Andrea Isea. Casey, age 6, was also awarded the Challenge Trophy for Solo Classical Ballet 8 years and under! Congratulation Casey!
Solo Classical Ballet 8 years and under
And Lorena Morissette placed 1st for both of her two Variations Solo En-Pointe – 17 years, (see video here) both prepared by Cori Caulfield; and 2nd for her Solo Contemporary Ballet – 17 years, choreographed by Kirsten Wicklund and prepared by Cori Caulfield.
While there were no other dancers in Casey’s competing class, or Lorena’s two Variation competing classes, and only 2 in the Contemporary Ballet 17 years, giving any placement at all is at the discretion of the adjudicator, who can award ties, no placement, or a placement of 3rd for example, in a class with only one student; and, as a member of Performing Arts BC, a minimum percentage is required for receiving official placements of 3rd, 2nd, or 1st at the CDMDF competition.
Caulfield School of Dance Principal Cori Caulfield commented: “Recording these solos on video and submitting them, instead of performing in-person on a stage – which would have meant driving in the snow to and from Chilliwack to perform for two minutes(!) – was such a surprisingly good experience, and such an excellent ‘real world’ experience for these dancers. For at least a decade, video submission has become a normal part of the process for auditioning for work as a professional dancer, for placement or scholarship consideration for invitational post-secondary dance institutions, and the like. Learning to deal with the nervousness of performing is one of the important aspects of competing, and I found it so interesting – and honestly positive – how nervous some of the dancers were to be recorded in the studio. They had the same high-stakes feelings that they do when performing on a stage.
“I’m very grateful to the CDMDF for providing this way of competing for the lower mainland’s young dancer students at this time when health restrictions on theatre venue use are so prohibitive.”
Well done all CDMDF ballet competitors!