Trailblazers Cajun Syrett and Riley Randall recently participated in the BYU Dancesport Festival on November 15-16. They competed in the Cabaret category of the championship with 8 other couples, one from New Jersey and the rest from BYU. Despite the fierce competition, they walked away with first place!
The duo started practicing their piece in January of this year. They first performed their dance during the DSU Spring Ballroom Dance Concert. Riley’s mother, Amy Randall, was their choreographer and continued to work with them over the past months to perfect their routine. She said their win was one of her proudest moments!
Both Cajun and Riley agree that the most crucial part of performing is having a great dance partner. Riley explained that “Having someone who can handle all the lifts, as well as dance, is a vital component of the Cabaret category.”
The first time the two had danced together was in a ballet piece for the DSU Dance Company Spring 2017 Concert. They hadn’t partnered since then, but knew they would make a good fit for the competition. Cajun and Riley went into the festival with no other expectation than to do their best. Walking off the floor, they knew that was, in fact, their best performance.
“Just being there, having this opportunity to dance, and seeing the amazing talent was an incredible experience!” said Cajun.
Cajun started dancing when he came to University and joined Raging Red. Coming up on 5 years, Cajun expressed, “Dixie State is a place for opportunities I didn’t know were possible – I’ve never felt limited here.”
Riley has been dancing since she was 3-years-old. She dances because she wants to bring others joy. “Dance is an art form meant to entertain, and nothing makes my day more than seeing that joy on the faces of the audience.” Riley said.
Cajun and Riley are now eligible to go on to compete with dancers from all over the world in Manhattan at the New York Dance Festival February 2020.
Enjoy the video of their performance on our Facebook or Instagram.
For more information on our College of the Arts Dance Program, visit dance.utahtech.edu.
