Just For Kix dancers compete in Rochester

The Brainerd Just For Kix teams competed April 8-10 in a large scale competition at the Rochester Community and Technical College.

More than 4,000 Just For Kix Dance dancers from Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, North Dakota, South Dakota, Wisconsin and Nebraska competed. There were 506 total team performances. Categories include kick, hip hop, lyrical and jazz. Categories were grouped by class size and average grade. Each division is judged by five qualified judges.

Defending champions, the Brainerd Just For Kix Studio "Senior Kix" took home the gold for the second year in a row. This year, the team was under the direction of Annie Lindbergh and performed their routine titled "Game On" and dressed like Super Mario complete with mustaches.

The Just For Kix Senior Showcase featured 28 Just For Kix High School Teams from six states. The event has grown and raised the level of competition, organizers stated in a release. The Senior Showcase had to be cut down to 14 in finals.

Brainerd was in first in its section of 14 teams, with Austin, second; Richfield/Bloomington, third; St. Cloud, fourth; Grand Island, Neb., fifth; Marshall, sixth; Becker, seventh; Owatonna, eighth; Thief River Falls, ninth; West Fargo, ND., 10th; Elk River, 11th; Long Prairie, 12th; Princeton and Fridley, 14th.

Senior Showcase Non-finalists in random order were:

Minnetonka; Waterman, Ill.; Devils Lake, N.D.; Adams; Sioux City, Iowa; St. Peter; Rochester; Walker; Shelton, Neb.; Spencer, Iowa; West Sioux Falls, S.D.; Mendota, Ill.; Owatonna; White Bear Lake; and Dekalb, Ill.

Senior Kix also competed in a smaller division to prepare for the Showcase: Senior Kix 3 - Game On: Brainerd, first; Austin, second; Owatonna, third; Thief River Falls, fourth and Waterman, fifth.

In other divisions:

Shooting Stars teams, under the direction of Ali Clough and Annie Lindbergh, took first places in all three events:

• Shooting Stars Kick Middle Kix: Brainerd, first with "Doctor Emergency;" Austin, second; Walker, third; Waterman, fourth and Dekalb/Sycamore, fifth.

• Brainerd Shooting Stars Middle Lyrical took first with "Will I Wait;" St. Cloud Area, second; Dekalb/Sycamore, third; Austin, fourth and Belle Plaine, fifth.

• Brainerd Shooting Stars Middle Jazz took first with "Rhythm Of The Night;" Elk River, second; Belle Plaine, third; Richfield/Bloomington, fourth and White Bear Lake, fifth.

• Brainerd Senior Lyrical took second with "Skyfall;" Richfield Bloomington, took first; Grand Island, Neb., third; Rochelle, Ill., fourth and Shelton, Neb., fifth.

Dream Team Senior Lyrical took first place with "Poison and Wine;" Austin, second; Marshall, third and Waterman, fourth.

• Dream Team Jazz took first place with "Stone Cold;" Minnetonka, second; St. Cloud Area, third; Austin, fourth and Richfield/ Bloomington, fifth.

• Brainerd Dream Team Hip Hop took first place dancing to "Be Real," Thief River Falls, second; Austin, third and St. Cloud, fourth.

• Brainerd Starmakers Jazz (Junior Jazz 3) took first with "Bottom Of The River;" West Sioux Falls, second; Streator, third and Princeton, fourth.

• Brainerd's Starlites Mini Kick 2 took first place with "Did I Mention?" and St. Cloud took second.

• Brainerd Starlites took second in Mini Jazz 1 to "Rotten To The Core;" St Cloud, took first and Rochester, third.

• Brainerd Starlites took first in Mini Lyrical with "Wake Me Up;" St. Cloud, second and Austin, third.

• Brainerd's Rising Stars Middle Lyrical 2 took first with "Elastic Heart;" St. Cloud, second and Marshall, third.

• Brainerd Rising Stars Middle Kix 1, second place with "America" and St. Cloud Area, first.

• Brainerd's Rising Star Jazz in Middle Jazz 1 took second with "Performed to Do My Thang;" St. Cloud Area, first; Richfield/Bloomington, third; Rochester, fourth; Marshall, fifth; Austin, sixth.

• Brainerd's Middle Lyrical 2, first with "Elastic Heart;" St. Cloud, second and Marshall, third.

• Brainerd's Rising Star Jazz 1 took second with "Performed to I Will Wait;" St Cloud Area, first; Dekalb/Sycamore, third; Austin, fourth and Belle Plaine, fifth.