But it was his flexible style, sense of rhythm, soaring jumps and ability to electrify the mood of his music that prompted judges at the Dance Masters of America National Competition and Convention to name J.P. Viernes Junior Mr. Dance of America.
Viernes, 12, son of Resina and Alex Viernes of Half Moon Bay and a student of the Shely Pack Dancers for half his life, received his title — along with a big trophy, a medal and a cash award — at the Dance Masters competition July 8 through 20 in Orlando, Fla. He will hold the title for a year — while he waits to hear if he is called to Broadway in “Billy Elliott,” for which he is on his fourth callback.
 Courtesy James Manning J.P. Viernes shows the emotive style that helped him to be named Junior Mr. Dance of America, from his winning performance in Orlando. |
Viernes turned in a winning performance with a lyrical routine to Elvis Presley’s melancholy, emotionally charged 1969 ballad “In the Ghetto,” choreographed by his teacher, Pack Dancers founder Shely Pack-Manning.
“It’s really sad, but it has a lot of emotional content,” said Viernes of the song, which he said he “described” through movement that included big jumps and snappy turns. “It felt like I was telling the story to the audience, but with my body instead of my words.”
When told he had won the national title, “I was thinking, is this for real? Really?” he said.
Pack-Manning said she had spotted Viernes’ talent early. He was her student since he was 5.
“I could see he had a wonderful sense of rhythm,” she said. “In the past two years I’ve seen him develop into a strong dancer, a very flexible dancer.
“But one of his main assets is, he can connect with his music.”
Viernes had previously been named Junior Mr. Dance of California, a Dance Masters category for boys ages 10 to 12, and Master Dance of California, for boys 9 and 10. (He was 9 when he got that one.) As Junior Mr. Dance of America, he is invited to perform at Dance Masters events in North Carolina and Pennsylvania. Next July, he will be featured at the national convention in Washington D.C., where he will surrender his title.
Viernes, who starts seventh grade at Cunha Intermediate School this fall, can go on to Dance Masters’ Teen level, if he wishes. He plans to spend his title year improving by studying with Pack-Manning.
This is “a very important title,” she continued. “It’s reflective of young people today.”
The organization celebrates its 125th anniversary in 2009, she said, which is why the convention will be held in Washington.
And Viernes will continue to wait on the Broadway musical “Billy Elliott.”
He auditioned for it two years ago, and has traveled to callbacks — the next step after a successful audition — in San Francisco, New York and Los Angeles. There’s only a brief window of time to perform the role: actors playing Billy must be under five feet tall and 12 or under. The diminutive Viernes has his fourth callback later this summer.
Instead of discouragement at the long audition process, Viernes views it all with his trademark chin-up optimism. “I think it’s encouraging, because I get really excited,” he said. “I think, oh my God, they called you back. You feel like you’re really close.”
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