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PUTNAM --- Caitlyn Faucher, 15, is the reigning Miss Teen Dance of New England, an honor bestowed on the most versatile young dancer.
She is the daughter of Tina and Michael Faucher of Brooklyn and began her dance training at the age of 2 at The Putnam Dance Center. At the age of 5, she began competing at various dance competitions and has been competing ever since. Caitlyn is finishing up her freshman year at Marianapolis Preparatory Academy, where she is an honor roll student. She graciously helps her mother and father by volunteering to help care for her 9 year-old brother Ethan who suffers from cerebral palsy. Caitlyn is also a teacher in training at The Putnam Dance Center, where she currently teaches ballet. Among Caitlyn’s other dance accolades are winning Miss Teen Headliner three years in a row, many first-place high score awards and scholarships, and special recognition awards.
“There are numerous dance competitions out there,” said Annette Hebard, owner and director of The Putnam Dance Center, “but Dance Masters of America is one the most prestigious.” She added, “What makes DMA, to me, stand high above the rest is first and foremost, it is an educational organization. The year begins with an offering of dance classes on a Sunday in September for teachers taught by other teachers.”
“It is a great way to share ideas with each other. Classes include tap, jazz, ballet, preschool and musical theatre among others. I look forward to learning new ways to make my classes more interesting,” she added.
March is the culmination of a year-long dance education experience. This is when the title competition is held. Students of DMA members compete for the title of Miss Petite, Miss Junior or Miss Teen Dance of New England. Students 16-23 compete for the title of Miss Dance of New England. The competition includes interviews with judges plus taking part in a ballet/pointe/tap and jazz class. They are judged on how quickly they pick up the choreography, how well they perform it, their grooming and attitude. They perform an opening number learned the week before and also perform solos. They also submit an essay on “How Dance Has Influenced My Life.”
Last March, Caitlyn won Most Talented non-finalist in the Miss Teen competition. This year she won all her classes, scored high in her interview and won the talent portion. Faucher said her goal for the future is "to be the best I can be." She is now preparing to compete for Miss Teen Dance of America in Orlando in July. She will perform a contemporary routine. Asked what she thinks her chances are of winning, she said, “I think I can do this.”