by Sylene Argent
Jamieson MacNeil returned back home to Cottam a champion last week, taking home a piece of hardware in all three colours. The local dancer recently competed in the World Dance Championships, which took place in Poland between November 29-December 4.
Competing in the children 11-and-under division as a part of the illustrious Team Canada Dance, MacNeil and his team earned the gold in Ballet Formation and a silver in Jazz Formation.
The young performer, who dances with All That Jazz Dance Company in Chatham, also wowed the international judges to earn a bronze in the men’s solo event. MacNeil performed in character as a matador and used a cape prop during his solo performance.
Team Canada, his mom, Annajayne, said, selected her son to perform a solo during the competition. She noted 26 countries were represented at the international competition.
His team just missed the podium in the Jazz Group division (which was comprised of six of the team’s dancers), having earned a fourth-place finish.
MacNeil was pleased with the results he and his team earned on the dance floor, especially for having earned the top place finish in Ballet Formation. He said his teacher drilled the team pretty hard to ensure the routine was perfect, and all that hard work paid off.
Performing on the international stage was nerve-wrecking, MacNeil noted, especially when he and his teammates first stepped onto the dance floor, which was a lot more slippery than he anticipated. The team, however, managed to pull off a great routine.
In addition to participating in the international competition and being able to learn from watching other experienced dancers perform, MacNeil also enjoyed touring Poland.
MacNeil said he is extremely grateful to everyone who showed support while he prepared to represent his county on the international dance stage.
Already, MacNeil is looking forward to his next competition.