So....usually after recital, we get to breathe for a while and get a break from dance. I mean, we still have summer classes, but they are definitely less intense/frequent. But this summer was different. Hannah has been trying to build her choreography career, and one of the ways is to enter her dances into various choreography competitions. So, she entered the Teen Contemporary number "Let the Past Go and the Past Will Let Go of You" and was accepted to the final competition show! This was a totally unfamiliar experience for all of us, and we were not sure what to expect.
It was Roberta, Hannah and me...plus the dancers: Jordyn, Lexi, Peyton Woods, Jessica and Ashton.
We left at 5:30 in the morning, had a 10:00 am tech rehearsal in Hollywood. And then we didn't have to return to the show until 5:30 pm. So, after the rehearsal, we walked around Hollywood and ate lunch. Saw TONS of stars on the sidewalk too!
So that evening, there were two portions of the show: Junior and Teen. We were in the teen category. After watching the teen dances, I definitely knew we held our own in the competition, but there were some amazing dances we were up against. Roberta, Hannah, and I couldn't sit by the girls. They stayed backstage, and we were in balcony seats. As the night grew on, and it was time for them to announce the top two finalists...and the winner, we started to feel a little nervous and excited. Kind of like...could we REALLY win this thing?? There were some amazing dances, and we had already decided that we would probably be third or fourth place.
But as the announcer said the 2nd runner up, then the first...and our name wasn't called....it became this surreal experience where time stood still and then in what seemed like slow motion, he said "And the winner of the 2016 Kidz Carnival is HANNAH MILLAR" and we went crazy!!!!!
You can see the pure joy in their faces! It was totally surreal.
Well, we had planned on doing a day trip and heading back home late after the performance was over. We knew that IF we won, we would need to be back in Hollywood on Wednesday (this was Monday) to perform in the official CARNIVAL show, where there were tons of famous dancers/choreographers. But I think we all felt that probably wouldn't happen so we wouldn't have to worry about it. But that night, after we won, Paulette (the director) said "OK, so you need to be at the Debbie Reynolds dance studio tomorrow at 11:00 am for audition training". We were like....ummmmm...we have no clothing, NOTHING. But as we analyzed our options...(go back home and miss the auditions, and then come back Wednesday. OR, go buy some clothing at WalMart...get a hotel and take advantage of the once in a lifetime opportunity)...we were deliriously tired, but decided that we would go to Wal Mart, get some essentials...and go to the audition training.
It was totally worth it and the girls learned so much. We finished about 2:00 pm on Tuesday and decided to drive back home (3 hours)...have a night at home, pack and head back to Hollywood the next day at noon. We didn't actually perform until Wednesday night at 10:30 pm (yes PM!).
It sounds crazy...and was crazy and exhausting! But it was also so fun to be together, and share such a special experience. I love these girls so much.
The next evening's performance was not a competition. It was an actual show, at a club that people pay to get into. In fact, you had to be 18 and older to attend, so our girls had to watch from side-stage! It was quite a peek into the world of REAL dancers/choreographers in LA...not quite as organized, structured and sweet as the competitions we are used to! It was quite an experience for us all, and an adventure to say the least!
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