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Dancing up a storm: Awards pile up for RJAD

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Ramona/Julian Academy of Dance (RJAD) students returned home last weekend with the many awards they earned at the Thunderstruck Dance Productions Competition in Upland.

Although RJAD’s owner, Kristine Griffin, said her studio competes for fun, unlike competition dance studios, she also noted that her students often win.

“I think we do quite well,” she said.

Earning Lightning Golds are:

Voodoo - Macy Bailey, Ireland Cetina, Addison Cruz, Mimi Farrell, Laura Gottas, Tierra Kuiper, Avery Lantz, Haley Lehr, Kyla Osuna, Isabella Pepich, Lucinda, Salazar, Katelyn Sampson, Elaina Shohara and Ryley Warner, acrobatic dance, 1st overall.

Watch Your Footwork - Emily Payne and Mikah Ramirez, musical theater, 1st overall.

Paint it Black - Emily Payne, contemporary, 2nd overall.

Montage - Samantha Breneman, Karissa Brown, Adrianna Eckert, Riley Gotowala, Cecilia Jaramillo, Ariana Jaramillo, Haili Kohl, Megan Lewis, Haylee Myers, Emily Payne, Mikah Ramirez, Kaitlyn Volosin and Chersten Sandvik, musical theater, 2nd overall.

Feet Don’t Fail Me Now - Mikah Ramirez, tap, 3rd overall.

Come with Me Now - Destiny Cooley, Adrianna Eckert, Natalie Hoertig, Kaitlyn Volosin, Megan Lewis, Emily Payne and Mikah Ramirez, tap, 3rd overall.

Fashionista - Ireland Centina, Riley Gotowala, Emma Hall, Haili Kohl, Haylee Myers and Lucinda Salazar, jazz, 6th overall.

Can Can - Morgan Kneeshaw, Haili Kohl, Desirae Kosut, Isabella Pepich, Lucinda Salazar and Starla Vang, ballet, 7th overall.

No Bad News - Destiny Cooley, tap.

Esmeralda - Emily Payne, pointe.

The Drift - Trinity Bellamy and Adrianna Eckert, open.

Earning High Golds are:

I Gotta Crow - Lucinda Salazar, musical theater, 2nd overall.

Who Do You Think You Are - Haili Kohl, open, 8th overall.

Manhunt - Samantha Breneman, Natalie Hoertig, Megan Lewis and Emily Payne, jazz, 9th overall.

Betty Lou - Destiny Cooley, Sonja Fortier, Riley Gotowala, Desirae Kosut, Haley Lehr, Caylie Miller, Lucinda Salazar and Kennedy Ireland, tap, 10th overall.

Itsy Bitsy Spider - Peyton Weber, jazz, 10th overall.

California Gurls - Allanah Bowman, open.

Hoo Doo Voo Doo Doll - Sonja Fortier, tap.

Silver Bells - Addison Cruz, Katie Drum, Sara Kneeshaw, Kyla Osuna, Haley Simonds and Raven Teafatiller, ballet.

Ain’t Got Nothin on You - Brynnan Cruz, Kayla Gibson, Avery Hagler, Taylor Reagan, Grace Walter and Peyton Weber, tap.

Queen Bee - Samantha Breneman, jazz.

Show Off - Karissa Brown, musical theater.

Ladylike - Emma Hall, Cecilia Jaramillo, Haylee Myers, Emily Payne and Taylor Romero, hip-hop.

Gold winners are:

I’m a Good Girl - Chersten Sandvik, musical theater, 10th overall.

Bullet Proof - Megan Lewis, jazz.

Earth Song - Destiny Cooley, Emma Hall, Moriah Jurist, Emily Payne and Kellen Vought, lyrical.

How it’s Done - Trinity Bellamy, Natalie Hoertig, Brooke Hurtado, Ariana Jaramillo and Alexis Sampson, acrobatic dance.

Special awards:

Classical Ballet - Silver Bells

Swag & Style - Montage

Crisp & Clean - Destiny Cooley

Love to Dance and Scholarship - Emily Payne.

The May 1-3 Thunderstruck competition came three weeks after the RJAD students competed in the April 10-12 Spotlight Dance Cup in Riverside, where they also achieved top awards.

Those earning special awards in Riverside were:

Love to Dance - Haili Kohl

Spotlight Entertainment - Lucinda Salazar

Spotlight Showmanship - Montage

New York Invite - Samantha Breneman

Clean Taps - Ain’t Got Nothin on You

Photogenic - Sonja Fortier and Emily Payne

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