2 Utah teens tops in dance

OREM — Fluid lines, graceful moves, rhythmic sound, leaps, turns, whirls, spins. Add them up and you have dance. But only if you have a dancer.

As American choreographer Ted Shawn once said, "Dance is the only art of which we ourselves are the stuff of which it is made."

So, for exceptional dance, you need exceptional dancers.

Add two more names to the list: Chuck Jones and Ellery Baum. These two Utah teens won top honors at the New York City Dance Alliance National Season Finale this summer. Chuck, 15 and a 10th-grader at Timpview High School, was named National Teen Outstanding Male Dancer. Ellery, 16 and a senior at Timpview, was selected as National Senior Outstanding Female Dancer.

Their wins were announced at the end of a grueling week of solo dance adjudication, auditions, workshops and competitions. NYCDA dancers must be proficient in many styles, including ballet, jazz, hip-hop, hop, lyrical and musical theater.

Chuck and Ellery study at the Center Stage Performing Arts Studio in Orem with coach Kellie Messerly. They qualified for the national competition at a regional round held earlier in Los Angeles.

"It's an unbelievable competition just to get to the nationals," says Kim Del Grosso, an owner of Center Stage. Then to take top honors there is an incredible honor. But, she says, if you know the young dancers, it is not all that surprising.

"Ellery has all the ingredients to be a world-class dancer. She dances many styles. She's one of the hardest workers I've ever seen. She has the support of a fabulous family. The sky's the limit for her — and for Chuck. He has such an immense talent, he'll be turning down jobs from here to eternity."

Chuck could already be working professionally, she said. "But he's got a good head on his shoulders. He realizes he needs to finish school. He's turned down jobs so he can study. He's got excellent form. He's a great worker. And he also comes from an amazing, artsy family."

As winners of the NYCDA, the two dancers will travel extensively during the coming year, to demonstrate and perform at NYCDA regional meets.

"It'll be an awesome experience," said Chuck, who has been seriously studying dance for five years and is trained in ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and ballroom.