Cameron Malone Named Elite Ultimate Dancer in Indianapolis

Remember that song? Sister Sledge had a pretty big disco hit with "He's the Greatest Dancer" way back in 1979. That song's over 40-years-old, but it seems appropriate today. Owensboro, KY just may be home to the region's "greatest dancer" and his name is Cameron.

Though he's been studying dance for years, Cameron Malone started dancing competitively just this year.

Jarrod Malone

The Owensboro, KY 14-year-old dances for Julia's Dance Academy in Rockport, Indiana and, over the weekend, traveled to Indy for the Indianapolis Dance Regional Competition- an event that showcases individual dancers and studio teams from this area of the country. Julia's is co-owned by a mother/daughter duo- Julia Allen and Kaitlyn Boyd, both of whom choreograph the competition dances.

They have certainly coached Cameron to early success. Keep in mind that in his very first competition was last month and he made a significant impact there. Cameron finished 6th overall which, as his dad Jarrod explains, he "was really happy with."

But Cameron's dance teacher, Kaitlyn Boyd, knew he could improve and so they went to work in the studio. Cameron wasn't missing the "big" moves, he just needed to focus on his storytelling and how creatively and intricately he was connecting those moves.

Jarrod says, "He spent every free moment he had in front of a mirror, working on what Kaitlyn had been teaching him . . . trying to perfect his dance all the way from start to finish and in between. Telling a story through his dance that can be felt by the audience."

So, last Friday evening, Cameron walked onto that stage- new, improved- and wowed the judges, the crowd and his fellow competitors. After the individual solos were completed, Cameron was named the 13-15 Ultimate Elite Champion!

Jarrod Malone

In addition to competing as a solo artist, Cameron also danced with his teammates and they struck gold as well and added even more hardware to Julia's Dance Academy's haul. They took home 1st Place and 2nd Place in the small group category and their performance piece called "Mr. 305" was named Best Overall Studio Performance.

Jarrod Malone

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But Cameron wasn't finished laying claim to "Best" titles. Get this! His solo performance of "Dance with Somebody" was named the Best Overall Solo Performance and his score was the single HIGHEST score in the competition. That competition, for the record, featured 247 dancers (18-and-under) and Cameron was named the best of the bunch.

Jarrod Malone

Jarrod, who's incredibly proud of his son's dedication, skill and accomplishments says, "I'm so proud of Cameron. It may never happen again, but it did this time."

See, that's why I have been humming Sister Sledge since I saw Jarrod's Facebook post. As the song goes, "Oh what wow! He's the greatest dancer! Oh what wow! That I've ever seen."