By Sue Wambolt, Contributing Writer
Northborough/Westborough – Algonquin Regional High School (ARHS) freshman Brittany Terra, 14, has grown up in the dance studio. Her mother, Laurene Aldorisio-Terra, is an accomplished dancer and owner of Westborough-based Laurene Aldorisio’s Academy of Dance Expressions where she has been a dance instructor for over 20 years. It is here that Brittany began dancing with her mother at age 3 – and has not stopped since.
Brittany studies all styles of dance: ballet, jazz, tap, hip hop, pointe, modern, contemporary, lyrical and aerobatics. Her favorite is jazz.
“Jazz is a little sassy,” she said. “It allows me to really express myself.”
Brittany is currently a member of the ARHS dance team, performing at pep rallies and various social events. When not in school, she can usually be found in the dance studio. In addition to the four hours a day that she spends practicing Brittany enjoys spending time alone in the studio choreographing her own dance routines. As a member of the Dance Expressions Community Outreach Program, she volunteers time dancing and performing at local senior centers and nursing homes. To add to her repertoire, Brittany is an assistant dance instructor at the studio.
Two years ago she started working with dance instructor Maria Budzinski to master the advanced teaching in contemporary, modern and lyrical that she needed to further excel. To say that Budzinski has been impressed with Brittany’s natural talent is an understatement.
“She is an extremely mature dancer for her age. She is strong and flexible and can master any form of dance. She is the total package,” said Budzinski. “I am honored to teach her – she is a star.”
At Dance Expressions, the mission is “to inspire and nurture our dancers to reach their fullest potential.” Brittany has not fallen short of this goal and has an impressive list of achievements to her credit. This year alone, the accomplished dancer placed third runner-up in the Teen Miss Dance of New England Pageant where she was judged not only on a solo dance performance, but on appearance and interview skills as well. At the Step Up 2 Dance Competition, her contemporary solo “Youth” and her jazz solo “Le Jazz Hot” both won platinum, earning her the highest overall score in the ages 11-14 solo division. Most recently, Brittany attended the 24-Seven Dance Convention where she was named a non-stop dancer finalist.
For Brittany, to dance is life. She attends the yearly Pulse Convention in Boston and for several years in a row has received scholarships from the hit TV show “So You Think You Can Dance” choreographers.
For Laurene, watching her daughter dance is a moving experience.
“I am always amazed when I watch Brittany dance and see how talented she is. When I watch her I feel so much pride and joy that I actually get tears in my eyes – whether in class with her, watching her on stage or at a convention,” she said. “She touches my heart in a very special way. When I watch her dance she is speaking to me with her heart through the movements and I am so proud knowing that I trained her from the very beginning.”
Brittany aspires to become a Broadway dancer one day, a goal which both her mother and Budzinski feel is well within reach. For now, though, she continues to attend classes, conventions and workshops and participate in competitions to stay current in the dance industry.