A homecoming to celebrate for MJ Dance

Dancers return to Showcase National Championships for first time in five years

Heading to the Showcase National Dance Championships in Queensland has long been a rite of passage for MJ Dance Studio’s best and brightest. For the past five years though, circumstances, mainly COVID, have conspired to see MJ dancers not be a part of the Gold Coast event so for many of the 44-strong 2023 contingent it was the first time they had experience the dance extravaganza.

Hosted at Star Casino, across three magnificent ballrooms, Showcase 2023 was back to its former glory as dancers battled it out in competitions that ran from 8am until often after midnight. MJ Dance Studio director Maria Slape said it was so great to see the competition back at its usual venue and with all the pizzaz of the early days of the event.

“It was a really good standard and when I was looking at the program I thought we are not going to place here,” she said. But the results were impressive with four dancers making it to the prestigious individual battles, four securing overall placings in the top 10 and three dancers securing double platinum scores – the highest on offer for dancers at the Gold Coast event.

For Maria, returning to Showcase had a nostalgic feel. “It is such a lovely community and you see people you have met over the years and everyone just gets along,” she said.

One of the biggest compliment Maria and her 44-member team were afforded was the comparison of the class of ’23 with one of the most glorious chapters of the MJ Dance Studio story when Euan Doidge, who has gone on to become one of Australia’s premier musical theatre stars, was the star attraction and the likes of sisters Kiana and Symiko De van De Schueren were shining on stage.

Kiana having gone onto a successful dance career including a stint with Cirque de Soleil and Symiko having travelled the world, earned a place in The Lion King and, in a special reunion for Maria was at the Gold Coast for Showcase, as was another successful alumni Imogen Harkness.

“When people said it was like the team of old it was hard not to be so proud,” Maria said. “It was nice they still hold us in high regard.” The strong results from the Dancer of the Year didn’t end with the top 10 finishes, with other MJ dancers also sitting inside the top 20 which at a competition where there is thousands of dancers is a huge achievement.

“We had such good representation,” Maria said. “It is safe to say all our dancers realised what all the fuss is about. It made everyone see why I say we need to get out there and experience everything we can and we haven’t been able to do that for a couple of years.”

Most pleasing for the MJ founder was the way her students lifted for the national competition.

“They all stepped up – they saw the standard and I have never seen these kids dance like they did,” Maria said. “Never seen them dance so well. I’ve told them you have to get out there and see what’s going on and when they saw it they made sure they did their absolute best. Probably the most important thing is they had such a good time. It was definitely the right decision to go back and they have all said they can’t wait to go back.”

And a decade or more after Symiko was at Showcase representing the Mount Gambier studio she still remembered those performances.

“She (Symiko) said it was the best years of her life,” Maria said, and it is hard not to see some of the current crop of MJ dancers feeling the same way, even with the passage of time. “I am so glad this generation got to experience this exciting event.”

Maria also likes heading to Showcase because of the calibre and diversity of the judging, which can only help her studio and its dancers continue to improve. “There is a team of 10 or more judges from as far away as New York and you can have different judges for each category in which you compete – it is unique to the way dancer competitions are run in Australia and I love the diversity of views and feedback you get,” she said. “Of course I also loved that our kids can hold their own against the best in the nation.” The MJ principal believed the strong techniques of her dancers held them in good stead.

“And the kids worked so hard beforehand and were able to not just get the results but also had so much fun.”

1. 2nd overall Senior Small Group
2. 2nd in the largest section of the competition – Senior Jazz
3. 3rd overall Pre Teen Large Group
4. 1st in the section Senior Contemporary double platinum award – one of the strongest sections of the group competition
5. 2nd overall Senior Large Group – also gaining a double platinum gold in the sections
6. Ella Dyson – Top 10 Junior Dancer of the Year
7. 1st overall – Pre Teen Group
8. Kiera McBain – Top 10 Senior Dancer of the Year

ON THE COVER: Madi Lane – Top 10 Senior Dancer of the Yea