By Nance Ebert, Contributing Writer
Northborough/Shrewsbury – In addition to being a sixth-grader at Sherwood Middle School, Bella Lanzarini is a competitive dancer at Elite Academy of Dance. She has been dancing for five years and this is her third year of competition. She is a member of The Company, the studio’s competitive team.
“My favorite styles of dance are lyrical contemporary, because I get to express myself more, but with jazz I get to play different characters so I love acting and all of that. I’m really happy when I’m dancing,” Lanzarini said.
Throughout the year, she performs in several competitions, three of which are regionals and one that is optional, which she typically participates in. Every other year there is also a national competition. She also broadens her dance education with traveling to and participating in dance conventions throughout the United States while studying with different master teachers.
“Bella is a really special dancer,” said Lauren Mangano, owner and artistic director of Elite Academy. “She started in our recreational classes five years ago. She didn’t compete that first year but we knew that there was something special about her. The following year we put her on Company and she has trained since then but the amount of progress that she has made over the years far surpasses what a normal 10-year-old’s technique is. She has a drive and maturity about herself in class and when she takes the stage, she is very special.”
Lanzarini is constantly receiving recognition at the competitions and conventions for technique, performance.
One of her favorite memories of a competition was when she won the Junior Miss Starquest at regionals.
“I had worked so hard to get there,” she recalled. “When they called my name it was just the best feeling.”
One of the things that Lanzarini really enjoys about being at Elite Dance Academy is the fact that everyone is very supportive of one another. She has made a lot of close friends there and they are all work as a closely knit team.
There are about 70 members of The Company, ranging in age from 4 to 18. Lanzarini is on the Elite Team in Company.
“There are about 13 members on this team but Bella is the youngest,” Mangano said.
Her regular day consists of going to school, going home and eating a lot to re-energize, do homework and then head to dance for the rest of the day. She is there seven days a week.
“During the weekends, Bella will even come to work on her solos. It’s not because she has to but because she want to. She sets very high standards for herself,” Mangano noted.
Bella has already accomplished a lot in the dance world to include: Junior Miss Headliners, Worcester; Junior Miss Starquest 2013, Providence, R.I.; 2013 Dancer of the Year, Second Runner Up, Rainbow National Finals, Wisconsin, Dells; JUMP VIP 2013 Scholarship Recipient, Providence, R.I. and International Dance Challenge, First Overall High Score Junior Soloist 2013, Brockton.
Her parents are extremely proud of her. Her mother, Adriana, was a ballerina for 20 years in Brazil.
“She is a very dedicated person. She makes us very happy and proud. She has a passion in everything she does,” said her father, Claudio.
“In the future, I just want to go as far into the dance world as I possibly can. I want to either join a dance company or start a dance company and accomplish as much as I can,” Lanzarini said.
