HUMBOLDT — Impact Dance Company ended its year with a magical tribute to a children’s’ story over the last weekend of May at the Jubilee Hall.
The company of over 50 students performed a total of 40 routines over two hours on their first night, May 24. Performances ranged from sombre, slow ballroom spins, to excited, quick hip-hop moves, featuring music from Frank Sinatra to Kanye West. In between was a lip synched performance of scenes from the iconic British children’s book and 1990s feature film, Matilda.
“We’ve been prepping for this for two weeks now, and it’s been nerve racking,” said Hope Beggs, 12, who played the recital’s titular character. The dance season had begun in September. “But we’ve all been together, so it’s been fun.”
She said considers the company one big family that has taught her to work hard, no matter what.
The routine called Asylum, which finished with a blood curdling scream from one dancer, was Gage Gosselin’s favorite to perform.
“That one was fun. It was more popping and locking – a lot of grooves. It was a lot of fun,” he said.
Gosselin, 15, played Madilita’s neglectful father Harry Wormwood.
He said he’s worked his hardest over 10 years to get to where he is now as a dancer.
“It’s been a lot of hours put in, with a lot of good times.”
The opening night ran smoothly, said Tarralea Armstrong, who was an artistic director along with Kylie Redl-Gosselin. Redl-Gosselin said because of the shows three performances, “there’s different elements that get shone each night.”
Twenty-four awards were given out to 20 students. Hannah Friesen, whom Redl-Gosselin said “works hard in class and constantly striving to learn more and try new things,” was awarded Impact’s dancer of the year.
Natasha Jenkins won the Bravo award for her achievement in successfully balancing dance, studies and part-time employment.
Gosselin and Beggs won awards for outstanding musical theatre duet and outstanding lyrical solo, respectively.
