Send this story Print this story

Adjust text size

Menlo Park dance troupe wins national competition

For the fourth straight year, the Menlo Park Academy of Dance won top honors at a national dance competition, "Encore Performing Arts," held recently in Las Vegas.

Forty-six students from the group attended with director Sarah-Jane Measor and teachers Leyla Boissonnade and Lee Pazmino.

The over-all grand champion prize was won by Laura Anderson, who attends Menlo School, and Madeline Bagby, a student at Castilleja, for a lyrical duo dance, "Never Knew His Name."

Members of the dance academy won several other awards, including the Division II overall prize for "Coriolan Overture," a ballet/Pointe dance choreographed by Ms. Measor, and the Division I overall prize for "Hit Me With a Hot Note," a jazz dance choreographed by Ms. Boissonnade.

Jasmine Jimison won the Division I "Dancer of the Year" award.

Laura Anderson, Maddie Wanger and Evelyn Vaughan were invited to join the Encore Performing Arts Elite Dance Team and will perform with other students from around the country at next year's national competition.

Menlo Park Academy of Dance has been open since 1947 and is directed by Ms. Measor and Sylvia Duncan. Its studio is at 1143 El Camino Real in Menlo Park.

Visit mpaod.com for more information.

This information was provided by Colleen Duncan of the Menlo Park Academy of Dance.