Home field advantage: Rich River Calisthenics Club’s Masters team won the aggregate on its home stage. Photo: Lauren Campbell
There was plenty of talent and loads of sparkles on centre stage once again when the Rich River Calisthenics Club hosted its annual competition last weekend.
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More than 500 team competitors and 51 solo performers took to the stage at Paramount Theatre in Echuca over the three-day event, with some travelling from as far away as Mildura, Wodonga, Melbourne and even South Australia to take part.
Calisthenics is a unique combination of dancing, singing, gymnastics and technical skills, with competitors wearing spectacular costumes on stage.
Performers take part in a wide range of different categories including march, rods, aesthetic, rhythmical aesthetics and dance arrangement, just to name a few.
Last weekend’s event was the first time the Rich River Calisthenics Club (RRCC) has been able to hold its annual competition in two years, with COVID-19 causing the cancellation of previous events.
Prue O’Dea has been involved with RRCC for more than a decade, with her daughter, Lauren, one of the competitors.
She said it was fantastic to see so many performers back on the stage again.
“It was absolutely amazing, the girls were all so excited,” O’Dea said
“They haven’t been on stage for two years, so it was great for them to be able to get out there and show off their skills.
“They have worked so hard with all their rehearsals, so it is a really good thing for them to be back.”
There were six different age groups competing on stage, from four years old to open masters 26 and over.
“We normally maybe have five teams in each division, and this time we had seven or eight teams in each division, so it really was massive,” O’Dea said.
It was a great day on stage for RRCC, with four teams earning podium places on the day.
The Masters and Sub Juniors both finished first in their respective categories, while the Juniors finished runners-up and the Intermediates placed third.
And while the Tinies aren’t scored, O’Dea said they all performed beautifully as well.
O’Dea said it was fantastic to have four teams finish in the top three.
“It is always special when the home team wins,” she said.
“I think it does make all the hard work and everything put into organising it pay off.”
RRCC will take part in a competition in Bendigo later this month before wrapping the season up with its end-of-year concert on Saturday, October 22.
Centre stage: Rich River Calisthenics Club’s Intermediate team Paige Looney (left), Lauren O'Dea (middle) and Caitlyn Corry (right) ready to go on stage for rhythmical aesthetics. Photo: Supplied
Top prize: Rich River Calisthenics Club’s sub juniors finished first at the club’s annual competition in Echuca. Photo: Lauren Campbell
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