Second Group Chosen in DanceMKE Contest

Dance MKE

A unanimous decision by the judges advanced three additional groups to the finals of the Marcus Center of the Art’s DanceMKE competition. The event, held outdoors at the Peck Pavilion, drew a crowd Downtown for a night of high-energy dance performances. The three winning groups were the All Above Dance Company, Monsterz Inc. and Salsabrositas.

While waiting for the judges’ verdict to come in, a large crowd of competitors and audience members were treated to a free salsa lesson from Danceworks.

Looking to join the fun? The final qualifying round will be held at 7:00 p.m. on August 16th at the Peck Pavilion at the Marcus Center (929 N. Water St.). The finals between the nine qualifying groups will be held August 23rd at 7:00 p.m. Both events are free to attend.

Twenty groups of talented dancers from all backgrounds and disciplines will compete for nine spots in the finals. Come down and be amazed by these talented Milwaukee dancers as they compete for cash prizes and Danceworks scholarships, as well as bragging rights as the first winners of DanceMKE. There will be a little something for everyone with dance styles including: contemporary, Mexican folklore, hip-hop, American Tribal Belly Dance, lyrical, salsa, contemporary fusion, ballroom and tap.

Here’s more information about the latest three finalists. Two of them answered some questions.

All Above Dance Company

What are you hoping to get from this experience with DanceMKE?

We love to share our dances, our stories, with as many people as possible.  This opportunity has given us a chance to do just that in a city that has so much potential artistically.

Why do you love to dance?

Dancing provides a release, it provides an opportunity to express what we may be feeling or thinking.  This dance, specifically, is a very personal journey for us as a group.

What is one unique characteristic about your group?

Our dance is about insecurity, it’s about the deep dark feelings we have about ourselves.  Our teacher asked us to pick out one negative word that we feel about ourselves.  She in turn, picked out a positive word for each of us.  The dance, “Pretty Hurts,” not only is a physical description of what every man, woman, boy and girl, goes through…but a very personal journey that means the world to all of us.

Monsterz Ink

What are you hoping to get from this experience with DanceMKE?

We’re hoping to gain knowledge from being apart of this wonderful competition.

Why do you love to dance?

We love to dance because it is our passion.

What is one unique characteristic about your group?

One unique thing about our group is that we are natural born dancers that are very versatile.

Salsabrositas

For more information on the DanceMKE schedule and all of the free Live at Peck events visit http://www.marcuscenter.org