Dancers compete in regional event held in Fallbrook

Fallbrook was the site for Rainbow Connection’s Regional “La Bling Tour 2007” Dance Competition on May 12 and 13 at Fallbrook High School’s Bob Burton Performing Arts Center. This was the ninth year that Rainbow Connection held a competition in Fallbrook. Thirteen dance studios within a 120-mile radius participated in the two-day event. Dancers competed for top honors and a chance to attend the “World Dance Challenge” in July in Las Vegas.

Acting as Master of Ceremonies was actor Don Mirault who has appeared in Star Trek-The Next Generation, General Hospital, The Hogan Family and Miss Congeniality Two. Mirault is a keynote speaker at colleges and universities and educates dancers and teachers on business and careers available in dance.

Judging the competition were Rebecca Cano, Trai Allgeier and Michelle Chandler-Smith. Cano is the Director of Dance at the University of El Paso, Texas and is seen in music videos for Huey Lewis and the News, M.C. Hammer and Heavy D. Allgeier has performed in film, television, and several musicals, which include “Chorus Line” and “Music Man.” Teacher and choreographer Chandler-Smith excels in jazz, lyrical, modern and ballet. Several of her students have gone onto careers with Holland America Cruise Line, as well as commercial work in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, San Francisco and New York.

Competing in Rainbow Connection’s regional event were CAST Productions-Fallbrook, Project Dance-Murrieta, California Dancer-Moreno Valley, Conlin Dance and Music Academy-Norco, Motions Dance Studio-Palm Desert, Carlsbad Premiere Dance-Carlsbad, Kearny Mesa Dance Academy-Kearny Mesa, Diamond Valley Dance Academy-Hemet, On the Edge Dance Studio-Torrey Pines, The Academy of Dance & School of Performing Arts-Westlake Village, And Dance-Norwalk, Showdown Studios and Studio One.

Awards presented included Special Awards, Newbie Awards, Overall High Point Awards, Cash Awards and National Finals Overall High Point Awards. Dance teams qualify for the “World Dance Challenge” by earning a score of 285 or higher. Project Dance from Murrieta and California Dancer from Moreno Valley were among some of the studios that qualified for this event.

The “2007 World Dance Challenge” will be held on July 27 at Green Valley Ranch Resort in Las Vegas, Nevada. Dancers will have the opportunity to meet other dancers from around the world, attend master classes and meet celebrity judges.