FROM a single hip-hop class run during maternity leave to an award-winning studio sending dancers to national and international competitions, Ipswich’s Eighty8 Dance Company is celebrating a decade of growth and success.
The local dance school recently returned home with a string of impressive results from both Australian and international competitions, cementing its reputation as one of the region’s leading hip-hop programs.
Director, owner and choreographer Meilaing Ng Wun said seeing her dancers succeed on major stages continued to be one of the most rewarding parts of the journey.
“We’ve had a really exciting few weeks,” Ng Wun said.
“To see the dancers perform at such a high level and achieve these results has been incredible.”
The studio’s biggest success came at the Queensland qualifiers for the Australian Dance Crew Championships (ADCC), where some of the State’s best hip-hop crews competed for places at the national finals in Sydney later this year.
Eighty8 entered three crews, with standout results across all divisions.
Its youngest competitive team, Kandi Crew, claimed first place in the Kids Crew Division and was also awarded the prestigious Rising Stars Award.
The six-member crew consists of dancers aged six to 10, and has shown remarkable improvement since qualifying for nationals last year after finishing third.
“This is their second year together as a crew, although we’ve welcomed some new dancers this year,” Ng Wun said.
“They’ve worked really hard and to see them come away with first place was amazing.”
The studio’s junior crew, Hush, secured second place in its division, while varsity crew A-OK (Academy of Kids) finished fourth against strong competition.
Just weeks later, Eighty8 travelled overseas for the first time to compete at Project, a major four-day international dance competition in New Zealand.
Kandi Crew once again impressed judges, placing third in the Mini Crew Division, while Hush also secured third place in the Novice Crew Division.
“It was our first international competition, so just getting there was a huge achievement,” Ng Wun said.
Eighty8 Dance Company now supports over 80 regular dancers each term, while also delivering programs through schools, community events and outreach activities.
“It’s not just about winning competitions,” Ng Wun said.
“It’s about giving young people confidence, creating opportunities and building a community where they can express themselves through dance.”
