Tag Archives: regional

Congratulations to Joleen’s Starz of the South (again)

Joleen's Starz Pirate Life

A Pirate’s Life performers with their Group of the Day trophy

Winning is getting to be a habit for Joleen’s Starz of the South dance studio. Congratulations go to their small group routine, A Pirate’s Life. A Pirate’s Life features a soundtrack created by Squirrel Trench Audio, and was not only the winner of the 12 & over Small Group category, but also achieved the high score/Group of the Day in the 12 & over category at the 2015 NYLA Dance Competition Biloxi Regional. Way to go, ladies! That is an impressive VICTORY!

In addition, the Starz of the South routine Land of the Free was the winning 11 & under team/production routine for the same NYLA regional competition. Land of the Free also features a Squirrel Trench Audio-created soundtrack.

Joleen's Starz of the South - Land of the Free performers with their top production award

Land of the Free performers with their top production award

We look forward to seeing videos from these terrific routines as well as other Starz of the South routines for which we’ve done the music editing and remixing! Thanks as always to Joleen for choosing Squirrel Trench Audio to create so much of the music used for Starz of the South competition routines! We can’t wait to make more for you next season!

Clean your dance, clean your music

clean_music_by_fatihakgungorCompetition season for dancers is here in earnest. This past weekend featured two studios utilizing Squirrel Trench music for their routines at the same competition (27 routines!). We’re thrilled to report a slew of 1st Places, Platinum, High Golds and Overalls were garned by these dedicated and hardworking dancers and choreographers.

Now that we’re in the competition phase of the year, don’t forget to clean your music at the same time you’re cleaning your routines and costumes. If there is a hiccup, jump, skip, mis-matched beat in your music, or section of music that is too soft, or not punchy enough, too fast or too slow, it’s not too late to get it fixed in time for the next regionals competition.

Already, Squirrel Trench Audio has helped dance teachers and studio owners get higher scores for their routines in a number of ways. For one tap number, the dancers were rushing too fast for the music. Solution? Speed up the music. For another studio, the routine was receiving deductions for inappropriate language. Solution? Inappropriate language obscured through clever remixing by Squirrel Trench. For another studio, the music they were using was too soft compared to all the other music being used. Solution? Brought up to current loudness levels by Squirrel Trench through a process known as mastering.

We know that many dance teachers and studios cut their own music. One of the potential pitfalls to self-cut music is that in the course of rehearsing the number five hundred times, any mistakes or hiccups eventually sound normal, just because you become used to hearing it that way. Of course, the judges will be hearing it for the first time, and if there is a hiccup, skip, jump or any other strangeness in the audio, it detracts from the polish you’ve worked so hard to achieve with your students.

So find a friend who can listen to your competition music with fresh ears. If they hear something that doesn’t sound right, send it my way to get it fixed in time for your next Regionals, so that you’ve got it the best it can be in time for Nationals. If you have something that needs fixing, use this Online Request Form, or email me at: morriss@squirreltrenchaudio.com

Related articles: Time to Fix Things Up • Pump Up The Volume • Fix Your Music in Time for Nationals

Congratulations to Rhythm Dance Company’s Neon

RhythmDanceCoCongratulations go to Rhythm Dance Company’s senior team tonight; they performed three routines with Squirrel Trench edited or remixed music at Hall of Fame’s Worcester Regional competition held at the DCU Center. Their routine Neon, using a custom Squirrel Trench remix that includes numerous sound effects, was a big winner for the evening, garnering a special Precision Award, scoring a 1st Place Platinum in the category, and winning 4th overall in Senior Large Groups.

Tonight’s performances were:

  • Neon — RDC (Senior Jazz Large Group) — Precision Award, 1st Place Platinum, 4th Overall in Senior Large Groups
  • Werk It — RDC (Senior Hip Hop Large Group) — High Gold
  • Beautiful, Dirty, Rich — RDC (Senior Jazz Trio)

While it is our policy not to share music that is currently being using in competition, in the meantime, you can enjoy the custom remix of Janet Jackson’s Rhythm Nation that Rhythm Dance Company used last year:
https://soundcloud.com/squirreltrench/rhythm-nation-squirrel-trench

Tomorrow’s and Sunday’s performances are scheduled to be live streamed on this web page: http://www.halloffamedance.com/livestream.aspx

The full schedule for the weekend can be found here: http://www.halloffamedance.com/regionals/schedule.aspx?id=442

And a full listing of routines at this weekend’s competition that will be performing with Squirrel Trench audio are listed here.

Break a leg to all of RDC’s and NEDC’s dancers performing tomorrow and Sunday!

Squirrel Trench at Hall of Fame Worcester Regionals

Hall of Fame Dance logoSince both Rhythm Dance Company and New England Dance Centers are competing at Hall of Fame‘s Worcester regionals at the DCU Center this coming weekend (Feb 28-Mar 2, 2014), that means that 27 of the routines will be using Squirrel Trench edited and remixed music.

The performances are scheduled to be live streamed via this link: http://www.halloffamedance.com/livestream.aspx

The full schedule for the weekend can be found here, and routines that will be performing with Squirrel Trench audio are listed below: http://www.halloffamedance.com/regionals/schedule.aspx?id=442

(All times listed as Eastern)
Friday, February 28
4:41p Stage1 Beautiful, Dirty, Rich — Rhythm Dance Company (Senior Jazz Trio) — (Edit)
7:22p Stage1 Werk It — Rhythm Dance Company (Senior Hip Hop Large Group) — (Full Remix)
7:49p Stage1 Neon — Rhythm Dance Company (Senior Jazz Large Group) — (Edit)

Saturday, March 1
10:45a Stage1 Wicked Lil Girrls — New England Dance Centers (Junior Tap Line) — (Edit)
11:39a Stage2 Toy Soldier— Rhythm Dance Company (Junior Jazz Duo) — (Edit)
2:12p Stage2 Americano/Dance Again — New England Dance Centers (Teen Open Solo) — (Edit)
4:47p Stage1 Coronet Man — Rhythm Dance Company (Senior Jazz Solo) — (Mastering for consistency of volume and modernization)
6:42p Stage1 The Dynamo of Volition — New England Dance Centers (Senior Tap Solo) — (Edit)
6:48p Stage1 Human Nature — New England Dance Centers (Senior Tap Solo) — (Edit)
7:18p Stage2 Let The Good Times Roll — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Solo) — (Edit)
7:39p Stage2 Yes Sir, That’s My Baby — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Solo) — (Edit)
7:42p Stage2 Lock My Heart — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Solo) — (Edit)
7:48p Stage2 Vogue — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Solo) — (Remix)
7:51p Stage2 Feet Don’t Fail Shaun Now — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Solo) — (Edit, Mastered, custom track courtesy of the original artists Rhythmic Circus minus taps)
10:28p Stage1 Starlets (Glamour Action) — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Small Group) — (Remix)

Sunday, March 2
7:58a Stage1 Fancy Footwork — New England Dance Centers (Junior Tap Large Group) — (Remix)
9:00a Stage2 (She’s) Hot Stuff — New England Dance Centers (Junior Jazz Solo) — (Remix)
9:12a Stage1 Toy Story — Rhythm Dance Company (Junior Hip Hop Line) — (Remix)
9:38a Stage2 I’ve Got Love — New England Dance Centers (Junior Jazz Solo) — (no edit; as-is)
10:02a Stage2 Sparkling Diamonds — New England Dance Centers (Junior Tap Solo) — (Edit)
11:52a Stage1 Gimme Some Rhythm, Daddy — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Duo) — (Remix)
12:07p Stage1 What Is Jazz? — New England Dance Centers (Teen Tap Trio) — (Remix)
4:31p Stage1 The Audition (Broadway Here I Come) — New England Dance Centers (Teen Musical Theater Line) — (Remix with voiceovers)
5:07p Stage1 Let’s Dance Hezekiah — New England Dance Centers (Teen Tap Line) — (Remix)
6:57p Stage1 Let The Groove Get In — New England Dance Centers (Teen Tap Large Group) — (Edit)
7:01p Stage1 We Came To Smash — New England Dance Centers (Teen Jazz Large Group) — (Edit)
8:58p Stage1 To Be Beautiful — New England Dance Centers (Teen Tap Small Group) — (Remix)
9:32p Stage1 Dirrty — Rhythm Dance Company (Teen Hip Hop Small Group) — (Edit and removal of inappropriate language)

Break a leg to all the dancers performing!

Feet Don’t Fail Shaun Now

Shaunessey Tap ChampionI am beaming proud of Shaunessey for her best performance to date… which garned her being awarded the Number One tap routine in her age category, as well as the First Place soloist in the 9-11 age category at this weekend’s StarPower regional competition in Springfield MA. I could not be more proud! Choreography by Lesley Weber. Music by Rhythmic Circus; much love to them for sending me the Minus-Taps mix from their amazingly tapalicious FDFMN song!

Congratulations, dancers!

Congratulations to four New England Dance Center soloists, a duo, and a trio, using Squirrel Trench Audio remixed songs and choreo by Miss Lesley, for winning 1st overall in your category at Star Systems‘ Worcester Regional yesterday morning… and the duo and trio scored the PLATINUM prize as well.

Brianna Roland wins Starbound Senior Overall

Congratulations to Brianna Roland for earning Elite Gold in both of her solo performances at the Starbound regional competition in Springfield, Mass. yesterday. These fierce performances earned her both First and Second place in the overalls for her age category. Her jazz routine Lady Jackson features an original Squirrel Trench remix of Janet Jackson’s Nasty, and her lyrical routine features a Squirrel Trench edited song by OneRepublic.

Headliner Regional High Score, Teen Division

Congratulations to Brianna Roland for winning Headliner’s Springfield Regional competition, Teen Division!

This routine features Prince’s When Doves Cry, which had a couple of audio glitches until I fixed it for her a few weeks ago.

Headliners has uploaded this routine to YouTube for your viewing pleasure:

If you have less-than-perfect music that needs fixing before Nationals, let me know!