Nine dancers from the Toledo area have exactly two-and-a-half minutes today to convince judges at the Fox Theater in Detroit that the House of Adonis dance troupe deserves to win a competition that could land them a contract with a talent agency and an appearance on MTV.
"We submitted a video to the staff of the Scream Tour," said Shawanda Johnson, program coordinator and choreographer.
The Scream Tour is a group of young hip-hop artists with Diggy and the OMG Girlz among the headliners. House of Adonis will perform its routine to a mix of music by top 40 artists and a hip-hop dubstep mix, she added.
The House of Adonis is made up of a diverse group of dancers from ages 6 to 29 who are devoted to dancing.
"We have dancers who have been in the Nutcracker, who have been on BET Television, and have done different awards shows," Ms. Johnson said. "These kids have been training for years. School is first, and then dancing is their passion."
The dance troupe was organized in 1995 by Bridget Hanson, who works with young residents of the Lucas Metropolitan Housing Authority. The dancers are Jo'anna Conley, 6, and Johnnah Johnson, 12, who attend Winterfield Venture Academy; Airlia Parish, 7, and Sophia Parish, 10, who attend Ella P. Stewart Girls Academy; Aurelia Harrison, 18, a student at Owens Community College; Tyree Bell, 21, a graduate of Scott High School; Brad Hashim, 22, of Bowling Green State University; and Jessica Sanchez, 24, a student at Central State University. Ms. Johnson, 29, a graduate of Tiffin University, is one of the dancers, too. She is a substitute teacher for Toledo Public Schools. She also teaches dance, fitness, and modeling.
Winners of the event in Detroit will compete in the finals, giving them a chance to win $10,000 and other prizes, including the opportunity to nab a contract to be represented by the Bloc South Talent Agency, Ms. Johnson said.
The local troupe will learn during the weekend who the competition winners are and what is expected next.
First Published September 7, 2012, 4:00 a.m.