ORLANDO, FLA – After another season of fierce competition both in the U.S. and abroad, the Perkins School of the Arts dancers have returned home to upstate New York with fistfuls of accolades, including a 2016 Candance National Championship award.

The national title serves as number 11 for the Perkins School, headquartered in Norwich, and according to owner and choreographer Mikey Perkins, this year’s nod by Candance officials holds a significant honor over previous wins.

“First off, this talent and competition was more fierce this year than ever before,” explained Perkins. “It was the 30th anniversary of the Canadian-run event, hosting some of the most insane talent we had ever seen before.”

The Perkins School competed alongside much larger professional dance companies with ties to the Vancouver and Calgary Toronto areas located in the heart of the Canadian cinema filmmaking industry – home to several film studios centers.