The West Texas A&M University Dance Ensemble brought home the first-place prize for best contemporary dance at the Grand Prix Italia Dance Festival June 21-27 in Cesena, Italy.
The group, under the direction of Edward Truitt, assistant professor of dance, also took second place for best overall choreography. They performed Truitt’s newest work, “Kinetic Ties,” before an international group of highly regarded adjudicators.
The trip marks the second time in two years that the WTAMU dance ensemble has performed outside of the United States and the group’s first international dance competition.
The Grand Prix Italia Dance Festival is a large performance-oriented event located in the small town of Cesena. More than 700 dancers representing five continents attended this year’s festival. More than 150 different dances were entered in the competition.