La Grange's Impact Dance Studio wins big in Vegas

LA GRANGE – The dancers at Impact Dance Studio’s Performance Company in La Grange brought home several big wins at the West Coast Dance Explosion National Dance Competition.

Hosted in July at The Mirage Hotel in Las Vegas, the competition brought together top dance studios from across the country.

Impact Dance Studio competed with 60 of its members, a group made up of dancers from La Grange, Hinsdale, Western Springs and Burr Ridge, according to Sue Wagoner, a teacher at Impact Dance Studio.

According to a news release from Impact, their Mini and Junior performance of “Big Noise” received the Pinnacle Cup during the final gala and the highest score for Junior performers.

“The dancers worked so hard and the sense of accomplishment they received was astounding,” Impact Dance Studio Director Diane Fotino said in the release. “There were tears of joy from the dancers, parents and teachers alike. They worked as a team and won as a team.”

Not only was the win a team effort, but many of the students took home personal awards.

According to Wagoner, nearly all of their dancers placed first in the competition, including Erin Wienke of Riverside, who was named the West Coast Dance Explosion Junior Elite Dancer of the Year, and Lauren Mochizuki of Western Springs, who was named one of the top five West Coast Dance Explosion Senior Elite Dancers.

“Those kids really give up everything to dance,” Wagoner said. “They come in five days a week and they learn how to be able to do their homework in between their dancing and keep their grades up. They learn to do the best they can and they work so hard and it’s just so wonderful how they realized how the work paid off.”

[ Impact Dance Studio of La Grange is at 6 S. La Grange Road. ]

[ For information about Impact Dance Studio, call 708-354-5867 or visit www.impactdancestudio.com. ]