Hannah Petersen

My name is Hannah Petersen (based in New York). I am very interested in being an adjudicator for your competition. Growing up, I was a huge dance competition kid (with the Dream Duffle and everything) and have very fond memories of those events. I would love to be involved on the other side of things and help the kids improve on their technique and expressiveness.

A bit about me, I grew up in Omaha, Nebraska, where I started my training at Rennae's School of Dance, and then at Shockey Dance Company. I now have my BM in Musical Theatre with a minor in Dance from the University of Nebraska at Kearney. I am now a professional choreographer and performer, and have choreographed 12 different musicals, all with a wide variety of styles.

I am trained in ballet, jazz, tap, clogging, hip hop, and modern, and have taught myself ballroom technique and swing dancing technique (dance styles I needed for different shows I choreographed).

I know I would be an asset to your board of Adjudicators, primarily because of my performer background. I strongly believe that dance is way more than tricks and strong technique (which, don't get me wrong, is very important). You need to be able to tell the story and understand the use of strength in your movements.

Dance is very musical in that way; if you sang a song in one dynamic, it would be very boring, even if it was technically correct. It needs to breathe, to converse with the audience, the fellow dancers, and the music. I think I could provide a very well-rounded insight for the kids at the competition.

Bachelor of Music in Musical Theatre and Dance – University of Nebraska at Kearney