Regional Champion Awarded to PPRD Dance Company

PITTSBURG, KS – Hard work and dedication paid off for members of the PPRD Dance Company this Spring. They were awarded overall Teen Regional Champion at the Nexstar Dance Competition.  Dance studios from the Midwest region traveled to Pittsburg to compete for regional top honors.

PPRD Dance company currently offers three different levels of competition teams, which they call their Star Squads: Junior, Senior, and Elite. The Elite Star Squad class won the title of champion with their routine “Get Down.” Of the twelve numbers that PPRD competed with, 11 received first place in their categories. Three of the routines earned the coveted “Golden Ticket” award for earning some of the highest scores of the weekend. The Golden Ticket is an invitation to attend the national competition held in New York this summer.

“This is a huge honor,” says PPRD Dance teacher and choreographer Summer Warren.  “These girls work so hard all year. They put in hours at the studio, learning and rehearsing, while maintaining fantastic grades, competing in school sports, and juggling other activities. Their dedication is truly inspiring. Becoming the regional champs is truly an honor, but it’s an honor much deserved.”

PPRD Dance Company is celebrating its tenth anniversary this fall. Beth Bradshaw, who organizes the program in conjunction with the Pittsburg Parks and Recreation Department, says she wanted to start a program that was different from others.

“We wanted to make dance accessible to everyone in our community,” said Bradshaw. “We also wanted our dancers to be well-rounded individuals who could have a chance to experience as much as possible. So, we built a program that anyone, regardless of their experience, age, or commitment level, can experience all the magic that dance has to offer.”

Each year, the program has grown both in classes and in number of dancers.  Raven Warren, a senior this spring from Frontenac, has danced with PPRD for the past nine years.

“It’s such an honor to receive this award and it’s even more special knowing that this is the high I’m leaving my team on,” says Warren. “I know they’re going to go on and continue to win these huge awards.”

When asked about her time with PPRD Dance, Bradshaw responded “These past ten years have been such an amazing experience. We have built a solid program with amazing families and dedicated individuals. Our studio is our dance family. I am so blessed to be able to share my passion and love of dance with our students. I’m so proud of them for all that they have achieved this year.”

Classes are offered to youth ages three and up in a wide variety of styles including tap, jazz, ballet, pointe, hip hop, contemporary, and pom.  They will begin the season again at the Dance Kickoff Open House on August 31 at the Lincoln Center. Auditions for the PPRD Star Squads will take place at the same time. This event is free and open to anyone wanting to try dance. For more information or to register for dance classes, contact the Pittsburg Parks & Recreation Department at (620) 231-8310.

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