Marlborough Academy of Dance (MAD) crews saw strong results at the Sydney Dance Life Unite Championships and ADCC World Hip Hop Championships at the start of the month, in what MAD director Fleur Hebberd called a “an incredibly talented and competitive division.”
Ruby Cook, 16-year-old dancer and choreographer, won an Outstanding Choreography Award for FEMME, a contemporary routine that made it through to the grand championships and placed second overall.
Ruby says it was “really cool” to receive the award at a young age, especially as she performed with the crew as well as choreographing.
She explains that coming up with dance routines comes naturally to her, and she just “makes it up on the spot” while she’s teaching.
“It’s the weirdest thing,” she laughs.
Fellow senior dancer Hailey Crafar mixed the music and devised the formations for the routine, and Ruby says it was a proud moment seeing it all come to life.
Her hopes for the future are to continue dancing, hopefully securing a full-time job in Australia or on a cruise ship.
Fleur says “we are incredibly proud of our gorgeous dancers, who danced their hearts out, challenged themselves, supported each other and made us so proud.”
Other MAD achievements included ICEY placing third in the hip-hop championship soloist division and MAD Nation also placing in the top ten in the hip-hop championships.
