Langley's Island Dance Earns Top Overall Awards at Seattle Regional Competition

When senior dancer Madison Guzman competed at the Imagine Dance Challenge in Seattle last month, she brought home a First Overall finish in her division and a Dancerpalooza Scholarship, a prize worth nearly $950 in professional dance training. Her performance anchored a dominant weekend for the Island Dance Performing Group, the competitive arm of Langley-based Island Dance, which placed students in the top tier of nearly every division they entered at the March 27-29 event.

The weekend's signature moment came from "Ptolemea," the studio's senior small group, which swept the 15-19 division by earning First Overall, the Regional SDA Championship title, and a choreography award. Most significantly, the group received a Golden Ticket from the Star Dance Alliance, the official invitation to compete at the World Dance Championship held at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey. Under SDA's framework, Golden Tickets are awarded at each regional event only to top-scoring routines in Small Groups, Large Groups, Lines, and Grand Lines, placing "Ptolemea" among the most recognized groups at the regional level.

Individual results ran deep across the roster. Everleah Turner earned Second Overall, Sadie McKnight placed Third Overall Showcase, and Jade Hezel finished Fourth Overall Showcase. Lainey Dodge took Fourth Overall Elite, while Evangeline Bear and Maliya Thrasher each earned Sixth Overall in their divisions. The trio "Warrior," choreographed by Taqouri Pitts, placed first in its category and third overall.

Guzman's Dancerpalooza Scholarship is a tangible financial award. Full Dance Intensive enrollment at the event costs approximately $950, and the scholarship offsets or eliminates that cost. Dancerpalooza is held annually at the Long Beach Convention and Entertainment Center in California, spanning roughly six days in late July or early August, and draws top professional choreographers across styles including ballet, contemporary, jazz, tap, and hip-hop.

The results reflect decades of institutional investment on South Whidbey. Island Dance and Gymnastics has operated in Langley for over 38 years, co-founded by Charlene Brown, who also launched the Whidbey Island Dance Theatre and brought The Nutcracker to Whidbey Island audiences beginning in 1992. Brown's daughter Jamee Pitts became co-owner on January 1, 2023, and serves as Artistic Director and lead choreographer for IDPG after more than 21 years teaching lyrical classes at the studio.

"When so much heart and intention go into the work, to have that seen and honored is incredibly meaningful," Pitts said.

Families following the students' next steps should watch for studio communications about Dancerpalooza registration for the Long Beach event in late July or early August, and for details on "Ptolemea's" World Dance Championship appearance at the Meadowlands Expo Center in Secaucus, New Jersey, where the Golden Ticket they earned in Seattle now takes them.