Senior dancers from Mudgee studio Dance Unlimited have won a major award in their debut appearance at the Sydney Eisteddfod at the Sydney Opera House.
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The Senior jazz group won the Eisteddfod’s open jazz prize with a number choreographed by former student Kurt Dwyer-Williams and current Dance Unlimited student Oliver Sievers.
The ten-member dance group comprises dancers from 14 to 18 years of age, most of whom have been dancing with Dance Unlimited since they joined as Tiny Tots.
They competed against around 24 other dance groups from around the state for the open jazz prize, with the category split into two sections.
Judges praised the tribal-inspired work for its good attack, clean routine and innovative choreography, awarding it 93 points out of 100.
“This is the first time Dance Unlimited has ever gone to Sydney Eisteddfod,” Dance Unlimited's tap teacher Luke Golden said.
“We entered mostly to give the kids the chance to perform at the Opera House and we were so stoked just to perform at Australia's biggest dance eisteddfod''
He further added that the result 'was just phenomenal and an experience that the students would never forget'.
The Sydney performance was additionally significant because it was the final Eisteddfod for senior dancer Oliver Sievers, who is leaving Dance Unlimited to pursue a professional dance career.
It crowns a successful 2016 Eisteddfod season for Dance Unlimited.
Dance Unlimited won the award for Best Junior Group at the Dubbo Eisteddfod and took the prizes for both Best Senior and Best junior group at the Prince of Wales Eisteddfod in Gulgong.
Dance Unlimited’s 14 years modern dance group will compete in the open contemporary group and open modern group sections of the City of Sydney Eisteddfod in coming weeks.
Dance Unlimited, run by Tanya Keenan, has been teaching and performing dance in Mudgee for 24 years.
Tanya acknowledged all the dancers’ hard work and dedication towards this routine in the preparation for this major event.