Spotlight Dancer of the Year: Isabelle DuRussel
We are so proud to award the honor of Season 20 Spotlight Dancer of the Year to Isabelle DuRussel! We knew that this season’s dance had to be truly something special, and someone who completely embodied everything that we look for in a model student. Izzie has been a standout Spotlight dancer since she joined us in Season 7 at 2 years old. She truly excels in all styles of dance and gives her full effort in every single class and piece in which she is involved. As a mature and advanced 6th grader, she was the youngest Spotlight dancer to be brought in as a member of our Red Company. We have loved watching her artistry, technique and maturity grow for the past 5 years and into the lead dancer she is today. Her technical ability ranges from excellence in lyrical and jazz, to a leader in her ballet and technique classes, and she is also a shining member of Tapestry & Funkdafied teams. Her incredible work ethic, dedication to the studio and positive attitude makes her an all-around amazing role model for other dancers in her own classes, and also through her work as an assistant teacher for many years. She has also been a standout performer at conventions and competitions since a young age because of her passion, drive to be the best she can be and eagerness to learn and make corrections from her instructors. We are thrilled to award her this honor, and we can’t wait to watch her continue to shine in the Spotlight!. We are so proud of you Izzie!
Meet Izzie.
Izzie joined our Spotlight family in the fall of 2009 as a member of our 3 & 4’s class (even though I think she was only 2)! That was Season 7, and Izzie’s stage debut was to High Ho, from Snow White. Izzie grew up through each of our levels and as a standout dancer even then, she was also chosen to do a few solos even prior to her time as a company dancer. As she grew throughout our program, she became a member and stand out performer in every single level of Spotlight classes. In fact, she was the youngest dancer in the last 20 years to make our Red Company in only 6th grade, and it was clear that she was something special.
Currently, this is her 5th season as a member of our Red Company. She is also in Funkdafied & Tapestry and has been an assistant teacher for many years. Izzie also has competed in numerous solos, duets, trios, and groups throughout her years with Spotlight. Izzie competed 2 solos this year, a Lyrical solo “Refuse” that we will be seeing tonight, & she also stepped out of her comfort zone this season to do a Tap solo entitled “How Will I know.” Her solos received high scores this season, special judges’ awards and overalls, and we could not be prouder of her sportsmanship and determination to keep stiving to be the best she can be. Izzie has also consistently received scholarships at dance conventions for many years and she gives each class she’s in her full effort, always.
·Izzie is currently in 10th grade at Grand Blanc High School, which is GREAT news, because that means we get to continue to watch her shine for the next 2 seasons. We can’t wait to see where dance will take her.
Izzie has truly been a dynamic and memorable performer throughout the years, and she was originally presented with the Dancer of the Month award in September of 2015 (Season 12)! In fact, she’s the only remaining Spotlight dancer who received that award during that season and prior to that season as well.
We have loved watching her artistry, technique and maturity grow into the lead dancer she is today. She is an extremely versatile dancer. Her technical ability ranges from excellence in lyrical and jazz, to a leader in her ballet and technique classes, and she is also a shining member in her tap and hip-hop teams.
Her incredible work ethic, dedication to the studio and positive attitude makes her an all-around amazing role model and one that completely embodies what this award stands for. We are very proud of her and are thrilled to award her this honor!
