Heidi Groskreutz
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Heidi Groskreutz, born September 3, 1981, is an award-winning dancer from Cliffside Park, New Jersey, and raised in Newport Beach, California. She specializes in Latin and swing dancing, and as of 2006, is a six-time U.S.A. Open Swing Dance champion. Popularly, she is best known for being a top four finalist in the second season of the So You Think You Can Dance competition (which was won by her cousin Benji Schwimmer).
Groskreutz and her cousin Benji were longtime dance partners, having been winning national titles together since they were six years old. They are both Mormons, and when Schwimmer left to serve a mission in Mexico, Groskreutz began competing with a new partner, Dmitry Chaplin. After Schwimmer's return from Mexico, all three of them auditioned for the second season of So You Think You Can Dance, and all proceeded to the top 20 finalists. At first, Groskreutz was partnered with contestant Ryan Rankine, and then later with Travis Wall. According to a September 29, 2006 interview on The Tyra Banks Show, Groskreutz had concerns about being able to dance hiphop style, and so created a psychological alter-ego for herself named "Shadawn" to get into character. She was often cited by the judges as the "most improved" contestant during the course of the show, and successfully proceeded to the top four finalists.
She is currently one of the dancers in the sold out tour based on the show. Heidi and Benji danced on Fox's New Years Eve show[1] and talked about their new instructional dance DVD.
[edit] Awards
- 1990 US Open, Young America Div. (ages 6-11), 2nd Place, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 1991 US Open, Young America Div. (ages 6-11), 1st Place, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 1992 US Open, Young America Div. (ages 6-12), 3rd Place, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 1993 US Open, Young America Div. (ages 6-12), 4th Place, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 1994 US Open, Young America Div. (ages 6-12), 2nd Place, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 2001 US Open Swing Dance Championship, Showcase Division, partner Benji Schwimmer
- 2002 US Open Swing Dance Championship, Showcase Division, partner Benji Schwimmer [2][3]
- 2005 US Open Swing Dance Championship, Showcase Division, partner Benji Schwimmer Video [4]
[edit] References
[edit] External Links
- Heidi Groskreutz Skips the Light Fandango — And America Calls Out for More
- Heidi's Official Myspace Page
- Benji and Heidi's Instructional DVD
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