Two years of planning and six months of gruelling physical preparation and training has culminated in a trip to the East for Jerrabomberra's Bom Funk Dance Studio students.
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A contingent of the studio's best 17 dancers departed Queanbeyan on Wednesday, April 13, for Hong Kong, and Bom Funk Dance director Kym Degenhart said the girls were more than prepared for their shows at Ocean Park, Stanley Markets and Disneyland.
"We started planning for the trip two years ago so it's been a long time coming, and then we started creating the show about six months ago so they have been training every Sunday for two hours for the last six months - if not longer for some of them," Degenhart said.
"They're definitely fit. A number of the girls do classes five days a week at the studio, and they're in a number of performance crews and perform at all different events around town as well so they're very actively involved," she said.
"There are a lot of fitness components involved and stamina is a really big thing for them for this particular tour.
"With Disneyland Parade, it lasts for about fifteen minutes and they repeat their routine seven times through so they have to be fit and strong."
At Ocean Park and Stanley Markets, the dance troupe will perform the piece they have created especially for the tour and Degenhart describes it as a high-energy blend of hip hop and musical theatre cabaret.
"It's a really fun-vibe show, with lots of personality, some really cool modern moves and some hip hop techniques as well, and I think the crowd will really enjoy it," she said.
Degenhart spoke of the vital nature of the exposure to professional dance that the tour provided her crew with, citing specifically the impact the show set to be performed at Disneyland would provide.
"They will be in between all the Disney floats and all the characters, so they will be involved in that parade just as if they're one of the dancers in the park and that's a really great experience for them; to be treated like a professional dancer," Degenhart said.
"I think the number one thing is that it's great to have the right body, and the right technique, and all of that but if you don't have the passion, you're never quite going to make it and these kids certainly have that so I look forward to seeing them over there."
