About the Performance Groups

Westside Academy’s performance groups are companies of talented dancers who train at Westside Dance and Gymnastics Academy in Tigard, Oregon.

Performance group dancers exhibit their skills at local community events and venues such as retirement homes, the Tigard Days Parade, the Vancouver Sausage Festival, the Tualatin Crawfish Festival and county fairs. Most groups also perform at Westside’s annual recital in June and our annual fundraising shows, the Holiday Showcase (December) and Spring Showcase (May).

Many of the performance groups also compete in regional competitions, frequently advancing to the national level. Most of these regional competitions take place in the greater Portland, Oregon area, with occasional competitions near Seattle, Washington or Seaside, Oregon.

Our goal is for all performance group members to:

• Become the best dancers they can be.
• Build high self-esteem.
• Practice good sportsmanship.
• Express their “inner selves” through dance.
• Have fun!

Performing Company

The Performing Company (PC) is a select group of dedicated, talented dancers who train intensively in tap, jazz and ballet. Membership in the PC is by invitation, based on exceptional dancing ability as demonstrated to the teaching staff.

Camaraderie is cultivated among PC members through picnics, holiday parties and the Big Sister/Brother program. The Big Sister/Brother program matches each younger member with an older member who serves as a mentor and provides support during competitions. This program helps to create a family atmosphere within the PC and leads to lasting friendships. Perhaps the strongest evidence of the success of these efforts can be found in our teaching staff; many of our dance teachers are former PC members who returned to Westside Academy to teach.

Elite Acro

Elite Acro (EA) dancers train intensively in acro, a dance genre that combines classical dance technique with gymnastics. Westside’s EA groups are well known for their extraordinarily entertaining routines, which include both individual tricks (e.g., aerials, handsprings and handwalking) and partnering tricks such as lifts, swizzles, and pitch-tucks.

Membership in EA is by invitation from the teaching staff to students who demonstrate outstanding dancing and gymnastics abilities.

Hip Hop Company

The Hip Hop Company is a group of energetic dancers who train intensively in a dance style that includes elements of breakdancing, freestyle (aka “flowing”), popping and locking.

Each Company season, which requires a yearlong commitment, starts in the summer with a strong focus on technique. As summer transitions into fall, students begin learning the choreography for their December Showcase performance. The Company performs at Westside’s annual recital, one spring competition and various community events.

An audition is held in early spring for dancers who wish to join the Company or continue dancing with the Company for another session.

Ballet Company