Five Miami Dade College students were part of a dance group that was a top ten finalist on NBC\u2019s hit show, America\u2019s Got Talent.<\/p>\n
The group was eliminated in week 15 of the competition on Sept. 7. Nearly 100,000 acts tried out for the competition.<\/p>\n
The dancers are: Daniel Garcia, 18, Anmaree De Santino, 19, Jennifer Bazail, 20, Joseph De Santino, 22, and Manuel Castro Jr, 25. They were part of a 24 member ensemble known as the Miami All Stars. Two of the students are in the Honors College at Miami Dade College.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s good to see academically talented kids also have other talents,\u201d said Sandra Martinez, the director of the Honor\u2019s College at North Campus. \u201cPassion is what makes students driven.\u201d<\/p>\n
The dance team, which was originally known as Dance Town, was persuaded by producers to audition for the show.<\/p>\n
During their three-week stay, the dancers practiced several times a day, did interviews, and performed live. They showcased a variety of styles of dance such as: Salsa, Swing, Contemporary, Jazz, and Ballroom.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe performance aspect was taken to a whole other level,\u201d De Santino said. \u201cThis wasn\u2019t the show where \u2018abuelito\u2019 and \u2018abuelita\u2019 went to go see us. This time, we had all of America
\nwatching.\u201d<\/p>\n
Manny and Lory Castro, owners and directors of Dance Town, have been the team\u2019s coaches, mentors, and teammates since 2003.<\/p>\n
\u201cDance Town is where we all met and became a family. Manny and Lory are the
\nmasterminds behind the production and have created true dancers in all of us,\u201d
\nGarcia said.<\/p>\n
The dancers have competed in several dance competitions across America, as soloists and as a unit including the New York City Dance Alliance, West Coast Dance Explosion, and Starpower.<\/p>\n
The team contributes their success to their diversity. The group ranges in age from 13 to 43, and includes members from 20 different ethnic backgrounds. Members include a husband and wife, a father and son, cousins, nephews, sisters, and brothers.<\/p>\n
For the Miami All Stars, dance is not only a hobby, but a lifestyle, and the show was the opportunity of a lifetime.<\/p>\n
\u201cWe got to live the dream,\u201d De Santino said. \u201cEven if for a little while.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Five Miami Dade College students were part of a dance group that was a top ten finalist on NBC\u2019s hit show, America\u2019s Got Talent. The group was eliminated in week 15 of the competition on Sept. 7. Nearly 100,000 acts tried out for the competition. The dancers are: Daniel Garcia, 18, Anmaree De Santino, 19, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":306,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"nf_dc_page":"","tdm_status":"","tdm_grid_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[11],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6908","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-ae"},"yoast_head":"\n