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What an unforgettable week at Dance The World Events Nationals in Walt Disney World! ✨

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Our dancers brought home incredible awards, including:

➡️ World Champion Top Scoring Group/Production with A Whole New World and a $1,000 Cash Prize!!

➡️ Multiple 1st Place Overalls, Ultimate Entertainment Awards, Finals Winners, and so many personal and team accomplishments!!

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WALT DISNEY WORLD

DANCE THE WORLD COMPETITION

WORLD CHAMPIONS!
OUR DANCERS LED THE WALT DISNEY WORLD PARADE!
THEY MADE IT TO FINALS!
MAIN STREET PARADE!
WINNING WORLD CHAMPS!
MAIN STREET U.S.A.
PARADE PRACTICE!
DANCING DOWN MAIN STREET U.S.A.

Article from The Lebanon Reporter

Talent Factory Arts and Dance Company of Lebanon traveled to Walt Disney World in Florida this week to compete against dance studios from around the globe.

Dancers from the United States, Canada, Mexico, Honduras, Spain, and South Africa will compete today at Epcot for the Dance The World Competition.

“We’ve taken on Nationals every summer, but now we’re going global,” Talent Factory co-owner Jim Kochert said. “Competing on the world stage for the very first time is a dream come true. And to do it at Disney, all while celebrating Talent Factory’s 10th anniversary is magical.”

Preliminary finalists will advance to the finals Saturday on the famous Beauty and The Beast stage in Disney’s Hollywood Studios.

“These dancers have worked so hard all year long, and to see them shine on a stage like this is the ultimate reward,” said dance teacher Marigrace Brannon. “They’ve earned every moment of this experience, and we’re just so proud.”

Talent Factory students will dance down Main Street USA in a parade at Magic Kingdom. The parade will be live-streamed on Dance The World’s Instagram page.

The dancers will attend master class workshops at Epcot with Disney Talent/Entertainment Director David Houde, professional choreographer Geo Hubela, and “Dancing With The Stars” pro Brandon Armstrong.

The week will culminate with an awards gala at The World Showplace Pavilion in Epcot.

The team consists of 26 dancers who will compete with 23 routines, including their “Aladdin Musical Theater” production number. All of the routines were choreographed and directed by the Talent Factory staff, consisting of Jim Kochert, Madeline Kochert, Marigrace Brannon, and Paula Kochert.

Two former students of the Kocherts collaborated with the studio to offer their expertise. Jade Perry, a former Disney cast member, assisted Talent Factory in the final weeks of rehearsals to help get the dancers “Disney parade ready.”

“Performing at Disney is every dancer’s dream,” Madeline Kochert said. “Watching our students take that dream and turn it into reality at a world competition, no less, is absolutely magical. This will be a memory they’ll carry forever.”

Boone County native, AJ Jones was the costume designer and creator. AJ lives in New York City and is a Broadway costumer. His work has also been seen on “Say Yes To The Dress,” The Tony Awards, and Bubly commercials, among others.

“Our dancers and staff have spent over a year in preparation for this big week,” Talent Factory co-owner Paula Kochert said. “Our incredibly talented teachers have poured their heart and soul into each piece to showcase every dancer’s unique talents. We are so proud of everyone’s hard work, dedication, and passion for dance. We are honored to represent Boone County and cannot wait to watch our studio shine on the world stage.”

Competition Results

A Whole New World

💎 WORLD CLASS DIAMOND 💎

🏆 1st Place Overall Intermediate Teen Group/Production

🏆 1st Place FINALS WINNER Intermediate 13 & up Group/Production

🎭 ULTIMATE ENTERTAINMENT AWARD 🎭
✨ WORLD CHAMPION TOP SCORING GROUP/PRODUCTION – $1000 CASH PRIZE ✨

Gitchee Gitchee Goo

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 2nd Place Overall Intermediate Petite Group

Villains

🩶 PLATINUM

Lost in Wonderland

🩶 PLATINUM

Emotion Commotion

💎 WORLD CLASS DIAMOND 💎

Grim Grinning Ghosts

💎 WORLD CLASS DIAMOND 💎

4th Place Finals Overall Advanced 13 & Up Group/Production

Zero to Hero

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 10th Place Intermediate Teen Group/Production

Our Greatest Adventure

💎 WORLD CLASS DIAMOND 💎

Stepsister’s Lament

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 2nd Place Intermediate Senior Duet/Trio

Your Personal Trash Man Can

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 1st Place Intermediate Teen Duet/Trio

🏆 1st Place FINALS WINNER Intermediate 13 & up Duet/Trio

🎭 “Gene Kelly & Donald O’Connor Award”

Pink Friday Girls

🩶 PLATINUM

✨ SOLO RESULTS ✨

Touch the Sky – Nora G.

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 8th Place Overall Intermediate Petite Solo

Feelin’ Real Good – Shaelynn D.

🩶 PLATINUM

UK Girl – Rylee P.

🩶 PLATINUM

Le Festin – Dorothy C.

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 4th Place Overall Intermediate Junior Solo

I Knew It, I Know You – Blake L.

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 6th Place Overall Intermediate Teen Solo

Introducing Me – Neo H.

🩶 PLATINUM

Be My Baby – Emily K.

🩶 PLATINUM

Dream Kitchen – Della Dininger

🩶 PLATINUM

Falling In And Out Of Love – Natalie M.

🩶 PLATINUM

Fly Girl – Hannah P.

🩶 PLATINUM

I Believe That We Will Win – Caiden G.

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 3rd Place Overall Intermediate Senior Solo

I Don’t Dance – Eli S.

🩶 PLATINUM

A Little Wicked – Alexis S.

🩶 PLATINUM

🏆 6th Place Overall Intermediate Senior Solo

Number of TFAD Classes: 5

Meet our Student of the Month, the lovely and talented Irina! 

In the spotlight this month is a young dancer who may be sweet and quiet by nature, but her dance moves speak volumes. Irina has been captivating us with her grace and dedication in our dance studio and with our dance company, and it’s high time we celebrate her achievements!

On the dance floor, Irina transforms into a mesmerizing performer. Our instructors have nothing but praise for Irina’s work ethic and her ability to absorb new choreography with ease.

We’re thrilled to have Irina as our Student of the Month, and we can’t wait to see how she continues to flourish as a dancer and a kind-hearted individual. Join us in congratulating her for this well-deserved recognition! 

– Talent Factory Staff

Talent Factory Dancers performed at the Boone County 4th of July Talent Show on July 1st! These dancers came out victorious winning 1st Place with their showstopping routine “The Show Must Go On!” The judges were impressed by their commitment to character and extreme expressiveness! We are so proud of these dancers and all the others acts who performed! They toughed it out in 85 degree weather with numerous costume changes! They were amazing and never cease to amaze us! What an awesome way to end the 2022-23 Season!

CONGRATULATIONS DANCERS! ❤️🤍💙

TALENT FACTORY WINS BIG AT MAJOR DANCE EVENT
Our Trip to Showstopper Dance Championships was An Exciting One!

Lebanon, IN–Jun 19-22, 2023–In the Northern Finals, Talent Factory competed against dozens of dance studios from around the Midwest and area for prestigious top honors at Showstopper, the largest Dance Competition in the Country. Our TOP entries placed as follows:
Simon Peters received 1st place overall in Senior Performance Solo, ”The Show Must Go On” received 2nd place overall in Teen Advanced Production, ”Shake Your Groove Thing” received 3rd place overall in Senior Advanced Large, Emily Konz received 9th place overall in Teen Advanced Solo, ”Home” received 2nd place overall in Senior Advanced Small Group, ”Golden Girls” received 2nd place overall in Mini Performance Small Group, ”Dancing Queens” received 8th place overall in Junior Advanced Duet/Trio, Dorothy Cotten received 4th place overall in Junior Performance Solo, Caiden Gilbert received 6th place overall in Teen Performance Solo, ”Holupwait” received 6th place overall in Senior Advanced Small Group, Madison Maxwell received 8th place overall in Senior Advanced Solo, ”Bonnie And Clyde” received 5th place overall in Teen Advanced Duet/Trio, and Talent Factory received 8 double platinum awards, 19 platinum awards, and 2 gold awards!

We had so much fun as a team at the Kalahari Resort in Sandusky, OH! We are so proud of all our Talent Factory Company Dancers! They put in so much hard work this season and it showed! Our team may be small but we are mighty! We would like to congratulate every dancer and studio who took the stage at Nationals! We witnessed so many amazing, creative, breathtaking and magical pieces from studios across the country! Such an inspiring and memorable week with our dance family! Now we are onto our 2023-2024 Season!

We have BIG news!!!! 🎉 We are finally able to disclose the new home for Talent Factory Arts & Dance!

ADDRESS: 384 N. Mount Zion Rd. Lebanon, IN 46052 (Located in the Lebanon Business Plaza) Centrally located from I-65 and State Road 32.

Our gorgeous new state-of-the-art location will allow us to add a flex space studio, a dedicated office, and offer many new and exciting classes, programs, and events.

It is important for us to provide our dance family a location that is safe and offers a variety of amenities including parking and restaurants close by. Centrally located with easy access from I-65 and State Road 32, Lebanon Business Plaza is the absolute perfect fit!

Continue to follow us on social media to see more before & after photos and to follow the buildout process.

We value and appreciate each and every one of you and thank you from the bottoms of our hearts for being so patient as we have gone through this complicated process. We know there are many mixed emotions about leaving our original location on the courthouse square, but we know that many amazing things are ahead for all of us. We are so thankful for your support and love! #TFAD4life

A huge THANK YOU to Zealbird for our amazing announcement video! 🎥

Watch our announcement video!

We are super pumped for classes to begin on Tuesday, Sept. 7, and know that our students are just as anxious to start! Keep in mind, there are no classes on Labor Day – Monday classes start Sept. 13! 

A few things to remember as we start another wonderful year of dance:

  • You will be receiving an email with your childs’ schedule after Registration Day (Aug. 18) is complete. Please be patient as our staff will be sending individual emails to each family with their schedule for the dance year. Thank you for your cooperation!
  • It takes many hours and man power to coordinate the schedule and class spaces are very limited; therefore all fees & payments are NON-REFUNDABLE/NON-TRANSFERABLE.
  • Shoe Fitting Day is August 19! If you scheduled an appointment make sure you are on time. If you are late you will lose your spot. Payment is due at time of fitting. We will also have dancewear and select tights available for purchase at your appointment.
  • If you ordered shoes they will be given to students on their first day of class. (Please keep in mind that some items may be backordered. If this is the case your child may wear clean socks to class until their shoes arrive.)
  • Email is our primary form of communication! You will receive an e-newsletter approximately every two weeks with important news, information and updates. Please add info@talentfactoryarts.com to your address book. Gmail users: please check your “Promotions” tab for our emails!
  • At Talent Factory Arts & Dance, we love welcoming new students into our studio family! We recognize that for some children though, letting go of their parent’s hand and stepping into our studio can be a difficult moment. Please be patient as they acclimate to their new surroundings and dance friends. 
  • In an effort to minimize the amount of foot traffic through the studio, our lobby will remain closed to parents, siblings and guests at this time. We will have Talent Factory Staff stationed at the entrance to welcome your dancers to class.
  • Dancers will not be let into the studio until 5 minutes before their scheduled class time. No dancer drop offs from the street or curb are allowed. For the safety of your dancers parents must park, walk up to the door, and stay with your dancer until they are let in. 
  • COVID-19 INFO: Face masks are optional for students and staff at this time. Dancers should not come to class if feeling ill. (Please email us at info@talentfactoryarts.com of all absences.) Dancers are welcome to use our hand sanitizing stations located throughout the studio. Having their own personal hand sanitizer is a great idea, and proper hand washing is always encouraged.

We can’t wait to welcome our dancers and parents (NEW and RETURNING) to our Talent Factory Family! We can’t wait to begin our 7th Season with all of you and are excited to see what this year has in store for us and our dancers! 🎉


P.S. We LOVE social media! Follow us on Facebook and Instagram to catch all the fun and exciting things happening at Talent Factory! We’d also LOVE to see your pictures! 📸 Please tag us @talent_factory_ and use #tfad4life and #tfadfamily to share your photos with us!

Concerns? Call or email to discuss them so everyone can be at ease!

Happy Dancing!