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10th May 2011
JMDS entered six students to compete in the annual Star Tap Awards, which is a competition that celebrates the very best tap talent that we have in this country. Competitors compete in three sections according to age: junior, senior and premier. JMDS had one student in the junior section: Bethany Hayward; 4 students in the senior section: Ruby Kent, Emma Jenkins, Emma Lewis and Jenna Miles; and one student in the premier section: Erica-Jayne Alden.
The competitors take part in a class consisting of a warm up, a technical step then an amalgamation. Each one then shows their tap solo which, in turn also showcases their talents. The judges then pick a runner up and a winner. There is a class prize for the person who shows extreme competence and technique throughout the class. Moreover, there are also commendations for choreography and artistry in their solo performances.
Junior Section
Bethany Hayward was competing for the first time at the Star Tap. She performed extremely well in the class and solo. It must have been daunting to be on the stage with so many other good competitors. You have to really believe in yourself and not let yourself be distracted by all the others. Bethany can be proud of her achievement this year and will surely look forward to competing again in years to come.
Senior Section
Ruby Kent, Emma Lewis, Jenna Miles and Emma Jenkins competed in the senior section and, as all girls are experienced tappers and performers, we were looking forward to being entertained! A fantastic class and brilliant solo performances by all 6 students left myself Mrs Marshall and Miss Sarah feeling very proud, but we weren’t quite prepared for what was to come. The standard was so high and after having sat through 50 or so tap solos it was time for the judges to make their decision. The audience and competitors waited nervously before the judges took to the stage. Before we knew it Jenna was announced as runner up! Fantastic! We were so excited we almost fell off our chairs when they then announced that Emma Lewis had won the senior section overall! Time to go and congratulate the winners.
Premier Section
Wow! This is really what it is all about. Fast, exciting, different, inspiring. These people really know how to tap. Erica-Jayne was our student in this section or maybe you know her as EJ! The class was great. It had quite a musical theatre slant on it so the students had to adapt to that particular style.
The solos were fantastic. I especially liked the boys as you don’t see that many boys dancing compared to the girls, but the ones that do dance are very good. They looked cool in their jeans and checked shirts and created a real ‘Tap Dogs’ feel. If you haven’t seen Tap Dogs yet then I strongly recommend that you do. EJ was great and I loved her tap solo. It really suited her personality. I felt sure she was in with a chance of winning but it was not to be this year. It didn’t matter because she represented the school superbly with her usual mix of style and personality.
There was an added bonus at the end as all the students from our school were given commendations for either artistry or choreography .At this point Miss Sarah must be recognised and congratulated for her fantastic tap choreography which really gives our students an added bonus from the start. I know what hard work and time goes into choosing music, cutting it to the right length, choreographing and then teaching the solo.
What a long day, but an inspiring one! Same time next year?
Jenna Miles & Emma Lewis
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