(Posted 9 a.m., Aug. 31)
Local miss becomes first dancer to hold national titles simultaneously
By Fred Sherwin
Orléans Online

Dancer Emma Bohn posses with just a handful of the trophies and competition cups that she has won this year. Fred Sherwin/Photo

Emma Bohn collects trophies and competition cups the way some of us collect loose change. Having danced competitvely for the past seven years she and her sister Mary Kathryn already collected enough trophies to fill her parents' basement.

Emma capped off an incredibly successful season this past year by becoming only the second Canadian to win a Junior Dancer of the Year title at the American Dance Awards National Championships in Florida and the first person to ever hold an ADA National title and a Candance National title at the same time.

The American Dance Awards National Championships brings together the top young dancers from ADA regional competitions held across North America.

Emma took a rather roundabout way to qualify for the national championships. Her family planned to enter Emma in a regional competition during a visit with relatives in Edmonton, but it was cancelled at the last minute. In the end, they traveled all the way to Portland, Oregon where Emma won the Junior Dancer of the Year title along with a bevy of other awards.

Armed with a regional title, Emma then competed against more than 30 other title holders at the ADA National Championships in Orlando, along with her fellow title holders from Leeming Danceworks. Emma Portner and Dedra McDermott shared the Teen Dancer of Year title in Ottawa, and Keanue Uchida and Dominic Prud'homme shared the Teen Male Dancer of the Year crown in Ottawa.

All the dancers did amazingly well. Uchida placed second in the competition for Teen Male Dancer of the Year and Portner and McDermott placed third and fourth respectively in the Teen Dancer of the Year competition. Portner also took first place honours in her tap class, while Emma placed first in the junior jazz class.

Besides receiving the top overall score for their lyrical duet "Love Story", Emma and Keanu also earned top marks for their solo routines. Emma recieved the top overall score among the 12-year-olds competing, and Keanu received the top overall score among the 13-year-olds both male and female.

Emma's sister, Mary Kathryn received the second highest score among the 14-year-old competitors for her lyrical solo "Back to Normal", and Dominic Prud'homme received the third best score in the same category for his solo "Relief".

In the High Score Age 15 category, Dedra McDermott placed fourth for “The Horse and I” and Emma Portner placed fifth for “Because of You”. Kyle Lemay took fifth place among age 17 solos with “Autumn Turns Leaves”. Other notable placements include fourth place finishes for both Emma and Keanu’s junior jazz duet “Extraordinary Machine” and Mary Kathryn, Keanu and Dominic’s teen tap trio “Good Morning”.

The top scoring entries in the various tap, jazz, ballet, acro and modern classes then competed against each other in the Dance-Off which brings the championships to a close.

Emma placed second in the 12 and under solo division for her routine "Bring in the Clowns", and she partnered with Uchida to take first place honours in the 12 and under trio or duet category with their routine entitled "Love Story"

Leeming Danceworks grad Kevin Howe choreographed the routine and he received the Craig North Memorial Young Choreographer of the Year Award for his work.

Winning the ADA Junior Dancer of the Year title was the culmination of seven years of hard work and dedication. When her name was read out as this year's titles, she couldn't believe her ears.

"I was really happy and excited because this was my fifth year competing at nationals and I was very suprised when they read out my name," says Bohn.

While in Orlando, Emma also competed in the first ever Candance National Championships. Despite a hectic schedule, she ended up winning the Junior Miss Candance North America title to become the first person to ever hold the national ADA and Candance titles at the same time.

Emma is now ready to move up to the teen division having won every title possible at the junior level. It should be an interesting year ahead as she works on a whole new set of routines to wow the judges next spring.

(This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.)

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