CHOREONITE VOL. 9 : Firing Up The Competition Through Online Hardships
Gigi Art of Dance has recently held Choreonite Vol. 9 on 10th April 2021, hosting an online competition in two categories, solo choreography and dance film. As an annual celebration, Choreonite was not held in 2020 due to the sudden change in global situation. Recovering from this setback, Choreonite was continued this year adapted to the online situation, ensuring maximum creativity output in a safe environment.
Following the last installment in 2019, Choreonite Vol. 9 returned with two categories, a Solo Choreography category for single dancers and a Dance Film category for aspiring choreographers as a change from the regular Choreography category that is usually held with multiple dancers. The Dance Film format was offered following the rise of interest in Dance Film during the pandemic, since it offered a space for innovation and ideas in a limited space from the quarantines. The Solo Choreography category was further divided into Junior division for competitors up to 13 year-old, and Senior division for competitors above 13 year-old. The Dance Film category included a 4-week workshop session with Shahrin Johry, a noted dance artist from Singapore who is also part of the judging board for the competition alongside with Mrs. Gianti Giadi, Artistic Director of Gigi Art of Dance, and Ms. Eleanor Bittner, Hip-Hop Teacher in GAOD.
Top competitors of each category presented their final piece in a live showcase on 10th April 2021, alongside with a medley of all 44 classes within Gigi Art of Dance. Following a very tough preliminary section including 33 competitors in Junior category, 34 competitors in the Senior category, and 24 competitors in Dance Film, the judges had selected a top 5 for each category, except for the Dance Film category where it had to be expanded to top 6 due to the overwhelming selection. The showcase was split into two shows, like previous events, into an afternoon show at 3PM and an evening show at 7PM. Different classes and competitors performed in each show, with the final announcement of winners coming in the evening show.
The showcase was also the first online ticketed event held by Gigi Art of Dance, in the spirit of highlighting appreciation for the arts and effort spent by all the competitors. Audience in each show came up to a hundred, shining a beacon for a brighter possible future in online arts events. This also set a precedent for following events by Gigi Art of Dance, returning a form to annual events with proper ticketing and quality of showcase.
The winners of Choreonite are as follows:
- Junior Solo Choreography (from 33 competitors):
- 1st Place: Celine Gracia
- Runner Up: Erline Florencia
- Senior Solo Choreography (from 34 competitors):
- 1st Place: Fhellin Tano
- Runner Up: Jacky Karsono
- Dance Film (from 24 competitors):
- Favorite Dance Film :Jasmine Natalie – Sincerely, You
- Best Dance Film: Priyanka Valencia – Is It A Dream?
Choreonite Vol.9 was an amazing sight, with over 150 students competitors showcasing their best in an online platform, crossing physical and digital boundaries. It is a testament to the spirit of the arts to persevere through any hardship and continue to improve. Gigi Art of Dance hopes to bring this spirit into the future, bringing an opportunity for students, teachers, and participants in all our events to find their own Time To Bloom in 2021!