MUKILTEO — Choreographer Kolanie Marks watched closely last week as 27 young dancers showed their best hip-hop moves during an audition.
“This is your moment,” he yelled to the group of dancers, ranging in age from 9 to 17. “I want to feel it.”
Dancers came from as far away as Japan for the audition last Wednesday at The Connection Performing Arts Center to vie for spots on the school’s competition dance teams.
In late July and early August, a group of the studio’s top performance students surprised many in the world of hip-hop dance by winning top awards at what is considered the premier annual hip-hop dance competition in the United States: The U.S.A. &World Hip Hop Dance Championships in Henderson, Nev.
“I was really happy ’cause we were all backstage when they called our name and we started jumping and screaming,” said dancer Aneeka Acode, 11.
She was part of the junior team of six 10- to 12-year-old girls dancing as Rated Next Generation (RNG), which placed first in the U.S. and sixth in the world.
The studio’s team of teenage girls dancing as Phyzikal Graffi-T placed 11th in the world championships.
Founded two years ago by Heidie Sharpe, the studio is quickly building a name for itself regionally and nationally as a place to pick up hip-hop dance moves. Dancers have already won eight awards, Marks said.
“We have the highest level of hip-hop in the United States,” said Marks, 28, a Louisiana transplant who taught himself to dance five years ago and has been a choreographer since 2007.
Marks co-owns The Connection with Sharpe. He said the studio has attracted the attention of Jayson Wright, Justin Timberlake’s choreographer, and Kevin Maher, who will perform there Aug. 22.
“That’s why I brought him here,” said Sharpe, pointing to a video of Marks showing his moves. “He’s incredible.”
The studio offers classes in ballet, jazz and lyrical dance. Not all students participate in the performance or competition dance teams.
Sharpe said she hopes the studio raises the level of modern dance instruction in the Puget Sound area.
Marco Morga, whose daughter Marina, 11, dances with RNG — as well as the Seattle Storm’s hip-hop team — was stunned to learn his daughter’s team had won the U.S. competition July 27 and qualified for the world championships Aug. 2.
“I had to take a red-eye flight down there,” he said.
Marks said he’s put his own performance ambitions on hold to help build the school’s reputation as the place to learn hip-hop in the Pacific Northwest, so students don’t have to go to Los Angeles, Chicago or New York to train.
“What we’re trying to do is draw that attention back here,” he said.
Oscar Halpert: 425-339-3429, ohalpert@heraldnet.com.
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