Our next dance star

Ballerina in training

Jordan's got rhythm!

Final post for Nationals 2011

So we are home now!  Up at 4:30am ET after getting to bed at midnight.  It was a fabulous trip but we are both so happy to be home.  As Zoe put it last evening as we were walking back to the room from the closing banquet, "It was fun but it's time for the journey to end."   My sentiments exactly!  The closing banquet/party was very cool.  All the top winners performed.  Some amazing stuff!  Unbelieveable.  And Jordan had a fabulous week in Chico with Memere, Pepper, Aunt Nancy, Uncle Tom and her cousins Lily and Luke.  She couldn't stop talking about all the fun she had.  We are so lucky to have such an amazing family!  So here's a few pictures from our final night as well as our homecoming.  Daddy sure was happy to have his girls back home again!

Zoe before the closing banquet

Zoe made a friend at the party

Final shot of Zoe and Shely

At the airport and ready to get home!

Zoe and Jordan happy to be together again!

Daddy had flowers and balloons to congratulate Zoe

Final awards ceremony brings more success for Zoe!

This evening they held the awards ceremony for the whole PAC (Performing Arts Competition) portion of the Dance Masters of America competition.  At this ceremony they gave the High Score awards for the 12 yr. old and under division & 13 yr old and over division.  Zoe ended up getting 6th place overall in the 12 and under division for her solo out of 200 solos!!  Pretty huge!!  I could not be more proud of her!!  She has worked so hard and has been dancing 15 hours a week this past year and it all paid off.  Especially impressive considering this is her first time ever to Nationals!!  Here's a run down of her awards for the week: Gold score for her duet w/ Jackie in Preliminaries.  Platinum score and 3rd Place in the category for her duet in the Finals.  Platinum score and 2nd Place in the category for her solo in the Finals (she did not have to do Prelims. for her solo because she had previously qualified at the California title competition in November where she got First Runner Up).  Plus a Judges Special Award titled: "You Are Amazing" given for her solo.  Then a High Score award and 6th Place Overall for her solo in the 12 and under division.  Right on Zoe!!


6th place out of 200 solos!!

All her awards for the week! 

Jackie wins some awards at the Miss Dance Competition!

Last night Jackie competed in the Miss Dance of America title competition.  She did an amazing job!!  The talent in the competition was over the top!!  Man can these kids dance!  And do acrobatics!  They blow your socks off.  And although Jackie did not place in the competition, she did get the congeniality award that was voted on by all the contestants (girl has a fabulous personality and one of the sweetest people you could ever meet) and she also got the award for the top essay that they all had to write.  The topic was "What dance has done for me."  Next year she is off to Arizona for college and she will be a pre-med major (she wants to be an orthopedic surgeon because of all the dance injuries she has had in her past) and she will minor in dance.  Unfortunately I did not get any pictures of her last night (it's been a long week and I slacked off  in the final hours!!).  But here are a few of the Miss Dance contestants and one of her parents before the competition.

Miss Dance of America contestants

Jackie was contestant #9

Don and Jan prior to Miss Dance competition

Day of dance workshops

Today was all about taking dance workshops.  Zoe did a ballet, a hip hop and a tap class.  Fun to be able to learn from different teachers and learn some new moves.  It was a busy morning!  This afternoon there is a big thunder and lightening storm with pouring rain and wind.  Perfect for taking a nap prior to getting ready to watch Jackie compete in the Miss Dance of America competition tonight.  Will try to blog again late night to let you know how Jackie did but expect we will be out until way past midnight.  The competition goes from 8pm to 11pm and then we plan to go out with Jackie, Ms. Shely & her parents to celebrate! And now, the pictures and a few short videos from hip hop and tap class. 

Writing a good luck card for Jackie!

Off to dance classes

Taking a break between classes

Some more pictures from competition

Here's a few more shots from Zoe and Jackie's duet performance as well as a few from Zoe's solo.

Another amazing day of competing!

So I realized I never explained how the scoring and awards work here at Nationals.  Well let me explain.  Each number in the competition gets an individual score.  And that score translates into a Bronze, High Bronze, Silver, High Silver, Gold or a Platinum.  Then based on your score, they give a First, Second & Third Place for each category.  Categories are based on the number of people in the routine (solo; duo/trio; small group numbers; large group numbers), the type of dance routine it is (lyrical; ballet; jazz; tap; musical theater, acrobatics, contemporary, hip hop, pointe) and then the age(s) of the dancer(s) in the routine (and ages are divided into 6 divisions).  So Zoe competed in Solo Lyrical Division 2.  And Zoe and Jackie competed in Duo/Trio Lyrical Division 5 (and it was Division 5 cuz Jackie is 18 yrs old so they were in a higher division then Zoe was for her solo).  So anyways, on to the news for today.  Zoe and Jackie got a Platinum individual score (only 3 given in their category) and 3rd place overall in their category!!  We were thrilled!  For Zoe's first time to Nationals this has been amazing.  So once again, some moments from our day in addition to a few cool shots that were taken from the professional competition photographer during their duet performance.

Ready to go in my fully stoned costume.
(that's dance lingo for glued crystals on a
costume which took me many hours to do!)

Girls get Platinum!!

Time to celebrate with a rootbeer!

Zoe's substitute dad for the week
(aka: Don who is Jackie's father)

Shely joined us for lunch to celebrate

Let them eat cake!  And ice cream, and tiramisu, and.........

Now it's time to watch the video of the performance and get
the teacher's critique.  Always more to learn and to do better!

Performance pictures. 
Number was called: Angel Standing By

Beautiful shot and perfectly synchronized!

The routine was gorgeous! 

Running leap.  Nice height girls!!

Prepping for Duet Competition

Thought I'd blog this AM prior to going down to compete.  Found out via a call from Jackie's mom at 8am that Zoe and Jackie will be competing their duet this morning instead of this afternoon.  So our day begins- eat breakfast, brush teeth, hair and make-up and stretching.  Both Zoe and I are getting this routine down (no pun intended).  Our morning routine is choreographed and synchronized to perfection.  Ok, pun intended this time!  They will be competing between 11am and 12noon ET and then awards will be at 12:30pm.  Will post again later today.  Wish them luck!!  And of course, the pictures.......

Hair and make-up once again!



Nice job Lisa if I do say so myself!



Bow to match the costume of course!

Perfect balance of slicked and curls. 

Ladies and Gentlemen, do not try this at home!

United Airlines found my wallet!!

Oh and I forgot to mention, my ID, ATM and credit card was found and is being Fed Ex-ed to me at the hotel!!  Yippee and hooray!!  Now I can actually pay for our hotel room and expenses on my own like a big girl and get us back on the plane to fly home on Sunday.  All is good!!

Zoe's Day of Relaxation!

Today we just chilled.  After having an exciting day yesterday and a great visit (and a late night!) with my friend Dustin from Jacksonville, both Zoe and I needed some downtime.  And by downtime I mean 5 hours at the pool!  Of which Zoe was in the pool 4 hours and 45 minutes of that time.  She didn't stop swimming the whole time.  So much for relaxing!  I on the other hand, swam a little, read a book, took a nap on the lounge chair and even drooled a little.  But don't tell anyone about the drooling part!  Now that's what I call relaxing.  Tomorrow will be back to the competition excitement.  Zoe and Jackie will be competing their duet in the finals.  And Great Uncle Mitch and Aunt Pam (who we didn't even expect to see here in Orlando at all) had such a great time watching Zoe compete her solo yesterday that they are coming back to see her compete again tomorrow.  Well that's all for today.  Here's some pictures from our chill-lax day.

I even point my toes when I jump into the pool!

Now this is the life!

Ice cream break!

Hotel has some amazing wild life right in the middle section
of it in this huge enclosed atrium area.

Proof that I am here too!

Ready to go watch the Junior Miss Dance
competition this evening!

4th of July Solo Competition

Today has exceeded all of my expectations.  My dear friend Dustin came from Jacksonville and my Uncle Mitch and Aunt Pam came to see Zoe perform.  And I must say, Zoe was amazing!!  As a matter of fact she got a special judges award that was titled "You Are Amazing".  She got a Platinum score which is only given to the top 3 to 5% or so of all entries (of which there are almost 1100 total entries in the competition).  I never expected this.  Very cool, very awesome, very amazing!  Zoe got second place overall in her category!  Wow!! And we ended the day w/ Zoe and Dustin going on the SlingShot.  Crazy ride man!!  Here are some pictures from our day.

Getting ready in the morning!

Practicing some moves- so smooth!!

Great Uncle Mitch and Aunt Pam came for the competition!

Talking to Memere before competing. 

Zoe got Platinum!!!  And a special judges award!!

Aunt Dustin and Zoe after the competition

Dustin and Zoe Sling Shot!!