New Canaan Dance Academy Wins Super Nova Group Routine Award

The New Canaan Dance Academy last month participated in the Heat Convention Dance Nationals in Orlando, and took home the most prestigious group dance award.

The company director and choreographer of the award-winning group dance “The Artist,” Sheena DiMatteo, described a “dream-like” feeling watching her dancers perform on the biggest of stages.

“I felt an immense amount of pride watching the girls dance,” DiMatteo said. “Especially for them to perform so well in Florida, where everything is so heightened, it was a magical feeling. Seeing all of the hard work unfold onstage was euphoric.”

The competition took place from July 6 to 11 and featured dance studios from across the country. Despite the top-tier opposition, NCDA received the “Super Nova Award” for having the best group routine.

NCDA Senior Company Team celebrating their Super Nova Award.

“Winning the Super Nova Award was an incredible way to end our season,” graduating dancer and lead in “The Artist,” Addie Tauber, said. “It’s a culmination of the immense amount of hard work that both the students and faculty have put in this year. From the early morning classes to the late-night pool parties, nationals was easily one of the most exhausting but rewarding weeks of the year.”

Tauber added: “I couldn’t be any prouder of my team.”

“The Artist” followed a creative protagonist (Tauber) as she set her heart on creating a final masterpiece, DiMatteo said. The cast of dancers around [Tauber] served as her palette, her instruments, and took on human characteristics or emotions of their own. Sometimes the other dancers represented an intimidating reminder of the task at hand, while at other times they helped [Tauber] believe in herself, ultimately creating a show within the show.

“The story felt autobiographical in a way,” DiMatteo said while reflecting on the piece. “Each year, as the dancers have gotten more advanced, the creation process has become more and more intimidating. There is that knowledge that the dancers are so incredible and infinitely capable, and it’s important work to make sure they are given material that allows them to continue growing and reaching their true potential.”

The judges of the competition that awarded NCDA the Super Nova were some of the best and most creative dancers in the world, including Heather Morris, star of Glee.

“The judges were seasoned international professionals who all do amazing things such as perform on Broadway, appear in movies and films, and lead renowned training programs,” DiMatteo said. “Yet, they didn’t judge to intimidate but rather to appreciate and give constructive feedback. We were all very grateful for the judging.”

NCDA celebrating their successful Heat Convention Nationals.

Despite it being the academy’s first time attending the Heat Convention Nationals—and their first time travelling by plane with their entire “Company Team”—they received an outpouring of recognition in addition to the Super Nova Award. NCDA dancers placed first overall in the following categories: Mini Duo/Trio, Teen Duo/Trio, Junior Small Group, Teen Large Group, Teen Line/Production, Senior Large Group, and Senior Line/Production. They also had several dancers come close to winning the “Eternal Flame,” which is a solo award by age group that required waking up at 6:30 a.m. every day and doing a range of things from rigorous rehearsal to cutthroat interviews.

Member of the Senior Company Team, Tatum Kazlauskas, earned the highest honor at the Heat Nationals and was invited to tour the country with the convention as a Faculty Assistant.

“We were mostly there to learn, absorb, and be inspired by the culture from the event and the other studios,” DiMatteo said. “At the same time, we entered the competition and felt truly ready for anything. To win those top awards at that level is a true testimony to all the unseen and unglamorous hard work that goes on day in and day out inside the four walls of the studio on Forest Street.”

NCDA parents saw the unity, pride, and hard work of the dancers and teachers play out in front of their eyes.

“We left with such pride for our school and our teachers,” said Julia Stewart, mom of a senior dancer on the team. “We are so grateful that the school brought us to such a high level. All of us moms couldn’t believe the things that our girls were accomplishing on the stage.”

Stewart described a bond that she saw form amongst all of the NCDA girls.

“Throughout the trip and time together, we watched as the girls not only matured as dancers but also as teammates rooting for each other,” she said. “It’s so much fun to see everybody so excited for each other’s wins. The national setting made it possible for all age groups to watch and cheer each other on, which was an amazing thing.”

DiMatteo said she hopes that the academy will return to the Heat Nationals.

“The culture that was created throughout the week was recognizably intentional,” she said. “Putting passion first, working as hard as you can each day towards your goals, supporting others on their journey, and being a positive role model by treating others with respect were all elements that the event not only promoted but demonstrated themselves. We would love to return and be a part of the Heat family in the future.”