AGOURA DANCE STUDENTS EARN TOP MARKS.

Byline: Angela Randazzo Staff Writer

SIMI VALLEY - Two Simi Valley sisters, Kirsten and Annika Ihnat, were title winners at the annual Dance Masters of America Southern California titles and performing arts competition.

Kirsten, 19, won the Miss Dance award with her solo performance of ``Gotcha'' from the Broadway hit ``Fosse.'' The Junior Miss Dance title went to 12-year-old Annika for her interpretation of ``I Am Woman'' from another Broadway hit, ``Smokey Joe's Cafe.''

Both numbers were choreographed by Roxanne Lee and Sherry Henderson of the California Dance Theatre in Agoura Hills where the two study.

The Ihnat sisters were part of school's competitive dance team, The Dance Connection, that included 62 dancers, ages 9-19. The dance team earned 14 first-place awards for both individual and group performances during the recent competition in Huntington Beach.

``The dancers did an incredible job,'' said Lori Sorensen, administrative director of the California Dance Theatre. ``We went to the competition for the camaraderie and experience, and to do so well just made it that much more exciting.'' Miss Teen Dance was won by Ashley Feinsinger, 15, of Agoura Hills. First Runner-Up for Miss Petite was won by London O'Donnell, 11, of Westlake Village.

Title winners will go on to represent the Southern California Chapter of Dance Masters at the National Convention in New Orleans this summer.

Highest points for choreography went to Maggie Danielsen for her rendition of ``Swanees,'' an innovative tap number to Tchaikovsky's swan quartet from ``Swan Lake.'' Danielsen has also been recognized as a first place choreographer by the national publication Dance Magazine.

Highest points honors in the group categories went to the dance number ``Moolah'' in the duo/trio category, ``Swanees'' in the group small line category, and ``A Hard Knock'' and ``Kansas City Rollers'' in the large line production category.

The dance numbers were staged by school's artistic director and choreographer, Kim Maselli and staff choreographers Danielsen, Laura Klein-Weiner, Sherry Henderson, Roxanne Lee, Ali Porter and Autumn Federici.

The California Dance Theatre is located at 5863 Kanan Road in Agoura Hills. Classes are available for all ages and include ballet, jazz, tap and hip hop. For more information call [phone].

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Photo: From left, London O'Donnell, Annika Ihnat, Ashley Feinsinger and Kirsten Ihnat, received awards at a recent competition.