We’ve been to several different dance competitions in Adelaide over the past few years but none were like the Kids Artistic Revue dance comp we attended on the weekend of 24 & 25 October 2015. Held at The Michael Murray Centre for Performing Arts at Westminster School, it felt like we were walking onto a set of an American TV dance show, complete with charismatic comperes with American accents and dance music playing in between acts. One of the first things we noticed (and you couldn’t miss it) was that instead of the usual black curtain backdrop, the giant KAR backdrop behind the stage gave a colourful and lively atmosphere.
This is the first Australian tour by KAR (an American Dance Competition) and what was the general consensus?
“BEST. Comp. Ever.” are the words I have heard from many, including my 10 year old daughter.
Here are some of the reasons why I think everyone loved it:
First of all, participants are not just a competitor number – right from the start, the digital souvenir program you can download and print for free has every competitor’s name, the title of their song and their dance studio name included. Even with troupes – every troupe member is named. They go out of their way to acknowledge the dancers, their teachers and parents, knowing how much hard work and dedication everyone puts in, to get to a comp. This is particularly highlighted during their hour long presentations after each major section. The presentations are an experience we’ve never had before. All the dancers from that section were invited to the stage where they kept things lively by playing games such as ‘Freeze’; doing the latest dance craze; throwing out prizes for them to catch and just generally having some fun dancing together.
Now this is probably one of the reasons why the kids love it SO much. Everyone is a winner. There are prizes galore. They wheel out a table and it is absolutely full of huge trophies, plaques and medals. See the size of the trophies below? That’s what I mean! It seems like there are trophies being given out for everything.
What makes it even more special? Again, the personal touch. In each age category, as they introduced the top 5 dancers one at a time, they played their music they danced to, in their winning act. How cute is that? Once the dancer was at the microphone the host always asked their name, the choreographer of their piece, and then asked them to invite either their teacher or ‘a special person’ to the stage, to share the glory with them. Most children eagerly called for their mums to go on stage and the DJ would oblige with music for the special person to walk (or dance) from their seat to the stage. Many mums and dads totally rocked their part and you could see where their child’s dancing talent has come from! I have to say it was a really special moment to be able to join my daughter on the stage to share the excitement.
A photographer is perched in the middle of the auditorium and takes photos of every group which you can see in their gallery and buy copies of photos. There is a lot to get through in these presentations but it is so professionally done and runs super smoothly.
There are special prizes for other categories and briefly we were transformed into a Miss Universe Pageant when they announced Second Runner Up, First Runner Up, and the winning girls received the sparkliest tiaras you ever did see, while boys got a KAR cap (which can only be won at a comp, not bought at their store).
Students from Xcel Dance Studio with KAR Founder & CEO Noah Lands backstage.
The comp was a one day event starting from 8.30am until after 10pm. For dancers doing several items there were some frantic quick changes of costume, hair, and accessories. Unlike other comps which include sessions over many days, often taking up much of school holidays, this was all done in the day.
There are 3 judges that critique the dancing, all acclaimed in the field of dancing and entertainment – in this comp, one was Australian while two were from the U.S. Therefore unlike some competitions where there is only 1 judge, the subjective scoring is evened out. Also just a heads up, the judges sit super close to the stage – that’s right, they are set up right in front of the stage so there is no hiding anything. It’s a slick operation, with the judges’ table set up with laptops; their critiques are voice recordings; and the staff are all microphoned up with ear pieces.
The first ever “Australia’s Ultimate Star Award” went to Isabella Stankovich pictured below. She danced in the Canberra KAR competition. KAR CEO, Noah Lands, surprised her with this award and an all expense paid trip to Los Angeles for the Hollywood Dance invitational. It’s an amazing opportunity for a young dancer.
It’s free entry for the audience to watch, so you can invite as many friends and family members as you like without them having to pay to attend. Also the doors are left open and audience members can walk in and out as they please – unlike at other comps where the doors are shut during each performance and if you don’t get there in time, you miss out on watching a dance.
The KAR staff were so friendly and professional, making the day run in a very organised way. They were super helpful – nothing was too hard – and they went out of their way to make dancers, their dance teachers and family feel a bit special, and very welcome. Plus they were all about FUN.
It was such a positive experience and we left after a long day, so glad that we had gone along.
On the second day they ran the KAR Dance Convention where students had an amazing time in dance workshops with the KAR Master Teachers. They got to learn some moves in different genres like Jazz, Musical Theatre, Contemporary, Hip Hop to name a few and were able to also do a Q&A with these experienced dance professionals. It was an inspiring day for the young dancers and the feedback was very positive from those that attended.
KAR is touted as ‘America’s Favourite Dance Competition’, and we can certainly see why. It totally exceeded our expectations and we are sure to have fond memories of this comp. We look forward to seeing them again next year!
For more information and all enquiries please visit the Kids Artistic Revue Facebook page here or their website here.
What: Kids Artistic Revue | Play & Go Review
When: First Adelaide Tour was 24 & 25 October 2015
Where: The Michael Murray Centre for Performing Arts at Westminster School
Who: Dancers
All photos are from the KAR Facebook page; video is by Play & Go.
Please note that our Reviews are the opinions of the Play & Go Editors, this is not a sponsored post and we do not advise venues or organisations prior to or during Reviews.
At Play & Go Adelaide we make every effort to provide accurate information to the best of our knowledge at the time of publication. We recommend confirming times, dates and details directly before making any plans as details may be subject to change.
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