West Gippsland Dance Festival Wrap Up 2023!
Posted
on 26 September 2023
 "West Gippsland Dance Festival Wrap Up 2023!")
JOKSOD recently had the most wonderful time at West Gippsland Dance Festival, this year. It is always such a special competition and so well organised and all our students always have such a memorable experience and we feel so lucky to be a part of it.
Our students absolutely outdid themselves with the wonderful performances we saw shine on the stage and it was beautiful to see all the results of their hard work and effort leading up to the event,
We shared lots of beautiful memories together as a team at the Troupe weekend and throughout the week with all the solo performances and championships. However, for us as a teaching team the most wonderful thing we took away from the event was the camaraderie of our students and the support they had for each other. There was not a JOKSOD performer that graced the stage without an incredible cheer squad in the audience for them. Our community was absolutely delightful and so special to witness.
We want to thank all our JOKSOD community and families for your commitment to your dancer to get them to Warragul and all the support with rehearsals and preparing them for the week. A special thanks to our incredible parent helpers who go the extra mile and do so much for our studio and the dancers, Sharon, Cameron, Rachel, Janis, Suzanne, Simone, Jade, Mel, Amanda for everything who were invaluable during the week.
Thank you to our wonderful teachers who care so much and give their all to our students. Kristina Hardner, Amy Browne, Jessica Mortlock, Georgia Tuckett, Hope Keogh, Ella McMillan and Tess Hanna. Plus our senior student teachers, Ash, Lily, Alyssa, Alannah, Michaela and Savvy, who gave extra time to help with the younger students during the weekend and the week. Thank you to Zan for being our number one supporter out in the audience, so many people around the festival recognised how lucky we are to have such a wonderful support with us all week. We are blessed to have everyone in our JOKSOD family.
We are delighted to announce all of the awards achieved by our students below which included:
52 – First place prizes
35 – Second place prizes
26 – Third place prizes
WOW! Keep reading for all our results!
Aggregate Awards
Teachers Aggregate for Solos/Duos and Trios: Joanne O'Kelly School of Dance
Adjudicators Choreography Award: Miss Kristina Hardner for the 14 and under Jazz Troupe, Blue Suede Shoes
Novice:
- 7 and under 9 years: Gracie Thomas
Open:
- 7 and under 9 years: Elise Stalker
- 9 and under 11 years: Macey Andreana
- 11 and under 13 years: Ava Scott
- 13 and under 15 years: Sam McSweeney
Adjudicators Awards:
Novice:
- 15 and under 17 years: Sophie Loft
Open:
- 13 and under 15 years: Lucie Doody
- 15 and under 17 years: Ashlea Rush
Championship Awards
Senior Ballet Championship
1st - Ashlea Rush
3rd - Michaela Davidson
Intermediate Ballet Championship
1st - Sam McSweeney
2nd - Lucie Doody
HM - Charlotta Apps
Junior Ballet Championship
1st - Macy Stalker
3rd - Ava Scott
Senior Jazz Championship
HM - Ashlea Rush
SM - Gerika Abbott
Intermediate Jazz Championship
1st - Lucie Doody
2nd - Ebony Ricupito
3rd - Sam McSweeney
HM - Savvy laurito
Junior Jazz Championship
2nd - Ava Scott
Contemporary / Lyrical 13 & Over Championship
2nd - Lucie Doody
Troupe Results
8 & Under
- Jazz = 2nd
10 & Under
- Classical = 1st
- Neo Classical = 1st
- Jazz = 1st
12 & Under
- Classical - 1st
- Neo Classical - 1st
- Jazz = 1st
- Contemporary = 3rd
14 & Under
- Classical = 1st
- Neo Classical = 2nd
- Jazz = 1st
- Contemporary = 2nd
- Lyrical = 2nd
Open Age
- Classical = 1st
- Neo Classical = 3rd
- Lyrical = 1st
- Contemporary = 1st
- Broadway = 1st
- Jazz = 1st
Solo Awards and Results
6 years and Under
- Character (Open)
- 1st – Amelia Lindsey
- Neo Classical (Open)
- 2nd - Amelia Lindsey
7 & Under 9 years
- Classical (Open)
- 1st – Elise Stalker
- Classical (Novice)
- 1st - Gracie Thomas
- Character (Open)
- 1st – Elise Stalker
- Character (Novice)
- 1st Gracie Thomas
- Neo Classical (Novice)
- 1st - Elise Stalker
- SM - Ella May
- Jazz (Open)
- 1st – Elise Stalker
- Jazz (Novice)
- 1st Gracie Thomas
- HM Ella May
9 & Under 11 years
- Classical (Open)
- 1st - Macey Andreana
- 2nd - Ming Fang
- HM - Bailey Borowski
- Character (Open)
- 1st - Macey Andreana
- 3rd - Ming Fang
- HM - Bailey Borowski
- Neo Classical (Open)
- HM - Macey Andreana
- Neo Classical (Novice)
- 1st - Olive Mottershead
- Jazz (Open)
- 1st – Ming Fang
- Jazz (Novice)
- HM - Zara Lindsey
- SM - Alexis Haim
- Lyrical (Open)
- 1st Macey Andreana
- Contemporary (Open)
- 2nd - Macey Andreana
11 & Under 13 years
- Classical (Open)
- 2nd - Macy Stalker
- 3rd - Ava Scott
- Classical (Novice)
- 3rd - Indigo Chatfield
- HM - Isobel Harper
- Character (Open)
- 1st –Ava Scott
- 2nd - Macy Stalker
- Character (Novice)
- 1st - Isobel Harper
- 2nd Adele Vokes
- Neo Classical (Open)
- 1st - Ava Scott
- 1st - Macy Stalker
- 2nd - Iyla Emanuel
- 3rd - Maisie O'Toole
- HM - Indigo Chatfield
- HM - Isobel Harper
- Neo Classical (Novice)
- 1st – Keira Richardson
- 3rd - Eva Tomazic-Spanger
- Contemporary (Open)
- 2nd - Iyla Emanuel
- 3rd - Ava Scott
- Contemporary (Novice)
- 2nd - India Woods
- 3rd - Indigo Chatfield
- HM - Eva Tomazic-Spanger
- HM - Kira Evans
- Lyrical (Open)
- 1st - Ava Scott
- Lyrical (Novice)
- 1st - Macy Stalker
- 2nd - Lulu Stackpole
- HM - Charlotte Pichler
- Jazz (Open)
- 1st - Macy Stalker
- 1st - Charlotte Pichler
- 3rd - India Woods
- HM - Maisie O'Toole
- HM - Indigo Chatfield
- SM - Ava Scott
- SM - Kira Evans
- Jazz (Novice)
- 2nd - Lulu Stackpole
13 & Under 15 years
- Classical (Open)
- 1st - Sam McSweeney
- 3rd - Charlotta Apps
- HM - Lucie Doody
- SM - Alannah Mills
- Character (Open)
- 1st – Lucie Doody
- 2nd - Sam McSweeney
- 3rd - Savannah Laurito
- HM - Ebony Ricupito
- Neo Classical (Open)
- 1st - Sam McSweeney
- 2nd - Lucie Doody
- 3rd - Ebony Ricupito
- HM - Charlotta Apps
- SM - Alannah Mills
- Neo Classical (Novice)
- 2nd - Alexis Creasey
- 3rd - Asha Blight
- Contemporary (Open)
- 1st - Ebony Ricupito
- 3rd - Savannah Laurito
- Contemporary (Novice)
- 2nd - Alannah Mills
- HM - Asha Blight
- Lyrical (Open)
- 1st - Lucie Doody
- 1st - Sam McSweeney
- 2nd - Charlotta Apps
- 2nd - Savannah Laurito
- Jazz (Open)
- 1st - Ebony Ricupito
- 2nd - Lucie Doody
- HM - Savanah Laurito
- SM - Sam McSweeney
- Song & Dance (Open)
- 1st - Alexis Creasey
15 & Under 17 years
- Classical (Open)
- 1st - Ashlea Rush
- Character (Open)
- 1st - Ashlea Rush
- 2nd - Gerika Abbott
- Neo Classical (Open)
- 2nd - Ashlea Rush
- SM - Gerika Abbott
- SM - Lily Woods
- Neo Classical (Novice)
- 1st - Sophie Loft
- 2nd - Lily Imlach
- Lyrical (Open)
- 2nd - Gerika Abbott
- 2nd - Lily Woods
- HM - Ashlea Rush
- Lyrical (Novice)
- 3rd - Sophie Loft
- Contemporary (Open)
- HM - Gerika Abbott
- HM - Ashlea Rush
- SM - Lily Woods
- Contemporary (Novice)
- SM - Amy Staunton
- Jazz (Open)
- 3rd - Gerika Abbott
- HM - Ashlea Rush
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17 years & Over
- Classical (Open)
- 1st - Michaela Davidson
- Character (Open)
- 1st - Michaela Davidson
- Neo Classical (Open)
- 2nd - Alyssa Brooke
- 3rd - Michaela Davidson
- Contemporary (Open)
- HM - Michaela Davidson
- Lyrical (Open)
- 3rd - Lucinda Curry
- HM - Alyssa Brooke
- SM - Michaela Davidson
- Jazz (Open)
- SM - Lucinda Curry
Duos
- 14&U Contemporary
- 3rd - Ebony Ricupito and Sam McSweeney
- 15&Over Jazz
- 2nd - Gerika Abbott and Amy Staunton
Improvisation
- 12&UJazz
- 1st - Elise Stalker
- 2nd - Iyla Emanual
- 12&U Lyrical / Contemporary
- 1st - Macy Stalker
- 2nd - Adele Vokes
- 3rd - Elise Stalker
- HM - Indigo Chatfield
- 12&U Classical
- 1st - Macy Stalker
- 2nd - Elise Stalker
- 3rd - Indigo Chatfield
- 13&Over Jazz
- 1st - Lucie Doody
- 3rd - Savannah Laurito
- 13&Over Lyrical / Contemporary
- 1st - Gerika Abbott
- 3rd - Amy Staunton
- HM - Alyssa Brooke
- HM Lucie Doody
- HM Michaela Davidson
