Whiz Kids: “Competitive Edge” Dance Team 

From: The Pulse Dance Studio, Bedford, NY 

Whiz Kids Accomplishment: Bringing home six overall 1st place wins, three overall 2nd place and four overall 3rd place wins from the National Competition at Mohegun Sun, CT.

Whiz Kids’ Key To Awesomeness: Practicing since August and competing in regional competitions since January, on top of their regular dance classes. The team is comprised of 55 members ranging from ages three to 18, and performed all different types of dance at the competition, from tap, jazz, hip-hop, musical theater, lyrical, to modern. 

The competition had more than 1,700 acts.

“On a huge stage with all these lights, and thousands of people it’s scary yet exhilerating at the same time,” said Jennifer Dell, owner of The Pulse and Competitive Edge director.  

She explained how the team trained at least three times a week, and participated in different acts depending on age group and style of dance. 

This year’s competition was unique in the fact the whole team participated in the event.

“It was really the first year that our younger competitors went to nationals, usually our older high school students go, and this year the whole team went,” she said. “It was kind of a big deal.”  

Fred Astaire and Ginger Rogers even took the stage in the form of Zachary Doran, 6, and Lily Milkis, 7, in their tap performance of  “Come Fly with Me,” who kept their 1st place winning streak from regionals straight through nationals with nine overall 1st place wins.

The other groups that performed were all very supportive of each other, said Dell, remembering how the teenaged performers would wake up as early as 7:30a.m. just to watch the little ones perform.  

There were even groups of dancers within the team that walked home with awards their first time competing at Nationals. Specifically happening to a group of five 16-year-old girls won first place with a number entitled, “Fun House.”

“They worked really hard, and as a teacher, it’s why you do it,” says Dell.

Competitive Edge will take a break and come back together next month when their competitions start up. Until then the 55 dancers just need to worry about their regular dance classes.