Dancers score big at Orange Bowl

Talk about starting the year off on the right foot. Jillian Fredette, 12, said she had the time of her life New Year's Day when she danced at the halftime show at the Orange Bowl in Miami. She was one of nine dancers from the Academy of Dance Arts in Brookfield to take part in the show.

During their four-day trip, the dancers -- all girls -- worked with choreographer Cris Judd, who has danced with everyone from Jennifer Lopez to Michael Jackson. (He was also married to Lopez briefly and did choreography for her, as well as for Jackson.)

At the college football game -- which featured Northern Illinois vs. Florida State -- the girls performed Judd's choreography with about 480 students from dance schools throughout the U.S. and Canada.

Doreen Rafferty, owner of the Academy of Dance Arts, said the Brookfield studio was invited to send dancers to perform through the WorldStrides Heritage Performance Program, which runs the halftime show.

The local students performed to four songs lasting a total of eight minutes. When the girls -- who range in age from 13 to 20 -- weren't onstage, they got to watch the game. Florida State won 31-10.

During their stay at the Hilton Fort Lauderdale Marina, the girls took part in a day of dance workshops taught by renowned choreographers Travis Wall, Jamal Sims, Randi Lynn Strong, and Stacey Tookey.

Jillian, as well as two other girls who performed in the show -- Lauren Daniska, 17, and Sarah Kunnemann, 13, both of Bethel -- discuss what their experience was like.

Q: What an exciting opportunity this must have been for all of you. How did you learn the dances?

Lauren: Cris sent out a video to us. We learned the steps at home, and practiced at the studio together. It took many hours to learn it. In Florida, we spent a total of about 20 hours working with Cris.

Q: What is Cris like in person?

Jillian: He was very funny. He made a lot of side jokes. One was "What did the sushi say to the soybean?" It said "Wasabean?"

SARAH: He really helped us with our dances and corrected us when we needed it.

Q: What was the most difficult part about learning these dances for you?

JILLIAN: I'm not a hip-hop dancer, so it was challenging to do this type of dancing.

LAUREN: The style of dancing we learned was much lower to the ground than we're used to. The moves were looser.

Q: What was one thing you learned from this experience?

Lauren: Cris would often say "It's not the reason, it's the intention." By this he means dancing is not just about making the motions. You want to convey the meaning behind your moves, the story you're telling, and what you're trying to portray as a dancer.

SARAH: I got to learn from all the other dancers that were there, while we were in the workshops. There are so many dancing styles that are taught, depending on where you study.

Q: Is dancing in all of your futures?

Lauren: In the fall I'll begin the dance program at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island. I want to be a professional dancer.

SARAH: I want to be a ballet dancer. Ballet teaches your body how to balance with breathing techniques, and when you get stressed or upset it helps you calm down.

JILLIAN: I would like to be a dance teacher and own a dance studio.

Sandra Diamond Fox is a freelance writer in Connecticut; Sandraifox@aol.com.