30 years of IDO World Tap dance Championships
Jillian McNamara / Brewster, NY - USA Dancer | Teacher | Coach | Choreographer
Here are a few words I have put together for your book… I am from Brewster, New York and started dancing when I was just two years old at Seven Star School of Performing Arts. The studio would become my second home for the next sixteen years and its owner, Nicole Aravena, would become my mentor and so much more. Aravena, a former USA Tap Team member herself introduced her students to the IDO World Tap Dance Championships and in 2011, I travelled to Riesa for the first time. I immediately fell in love with this event and remember being in absolute awe of all the incredible talent from each and every country that
took the big, beautiful stage to share their love and passion for tap dance with the World. It was an honor and privilege to stand on top of the children's podium that year and watch the Stars and Stripes being raised while the US National Anthem played. I vividly recall everything about that final - the names of the other dancers, the title of their songs and the costumes they all wore. Team USA was very small that year with only a few dancers in all and I being the only one in the children's division. Although the older U.S. dancers had not arrived in Riesa yet, I did not feel alone. When I boarded the bus to Meissen after the prize giving ceremony and photo session, the crowded bus erupted in applause and cheers. I felt truly welcomed and loved by my fellow tap dancers even though we were all from different parts of the world. In that moment, I knew that it would not be the last time I would see Riesa. For the next six years, I returned as a dancer myself and was fortunate to stand on top of the junior podium in 2014 and 2015 and finally the adult podium in 2016. In 2012, I was part of my first group dance when several friends from my home studio made the journey to Riesa as well. I can still feel the energy and exhilaration between us as we shared the stage. It was an extra special honor to share the gold, the honor and the glory with the people who I trained with every day in the States. Even more special than any medal were the friendships that were formed over the years - friendships that have lasted until present day and have brought me to visit countries that I never imagined I would see. My Croatian friends and dance family remain especially close to my heart and I am eternally grateful to Linda Valjalo for inviting me to participate in the teachers showcase at the Dubrovnik Tap Festival over the years. In 2019, I returned as a USA coach/choreographer with a group of 38 dancers who collectively earned six medals in all. It was a new kind of pride and glory to see dances that I created competing on the international stage with the best in the world. To say that the IDO World Tap Dance Championship has shaped my life would be an understatement. I am forever grateful for all the memories and look forward to sharing many more with future generations in the years to come. In early 2020, I founded the American Dance Collaborative which brings together dancers, teachers and choreographers from various geographic areas for the purpose of creating, collaborating, performing and competing - most notably at international events. Other current positions include: Competition Director, Teacher and Choreographer at Cheshire Performing Arts Academy (Cheshire, Connecticut). Teacher, Choreographer - Star School of Performing Arts (Brewster, NY) Guest Choreographer & Master Class Teacher - Studios throughout the Tri-State Area
Recent honors: many 2021 choreography awards including Young Choreographer of the Year at American Dance Awards, Uncasville, Connecticut.
578
Made with FlippingBook Digital Proposal Creator