The big moment came on June 23, 2002, at the conclusion of the third of three "Showtime" performances. The dancers had taken their curtain calls, the thanks had been issued, and an assortment of awards had been presented.
Capping off the show and his studio's 26th year of dance, director Chris Collins announced that the 2002 Student of the Year selections was . . . Katie Henderson.
A long-time member
of the CCDS dance family, Katie has danced at the studio for 14 years -- eight of those years as a member of the performing dance troupe. She is also one of the most active student teachers, sharing her talent, enthusiasm and love of dance with dozens of the studio's younger students on a weekly
basis.
Through the years she has received several dedication and efforts awards at previous recitals and has been a member of performance teams that received Platinum awards at the StarQuest competition.
A true stage veteran even outside the studio, Katie began acting and dancing in local community theatre productions at the age of eight. And it's something she has no plans to give up. After high school, she plans to head to college and major in musical theatre.
In naming Katie as the Student of the Year, Chris Collins also announced that she was the first recipient of the newly created Bill Collins Dance Scholarship -- an honor that grants Katie a year of free tuition at the dance studio.
