Power
Pak was established in 1998 by Starpower National Talent
Competition co-director, Gary Pate and Leo's Dancewear
President, Glen Baruck. Power Pak was created as an opportunity
for young performers from across the country and Canada
to come together and participate in an intense dance tour.
Gary and Glen wanted to give young dancers the chance
to experience what it would be like to be in a professional
dance company. The performers range in age from 6 to 21
years old and have been hand selected from regional talent
competitions all across the United States.
The Power Pak Tour creates an environment that encourages
all participants and spectators to work hard and have
fun. We teach our performers that the performance world
is a small world and that the people they are meeting
on tour now, are the same people they will run into on
a regular basis at auditions, rehearsals, shows, etc.;
if they pursue their career as a performer. Since our
participants are from all over the country and Canada
this is a great opportunity for all of our participants
to make new friends and create contacts that they can
use to help them achieve their goals in the entertainment
world.
We provide our performers and spectators with classes
from the most talented teachers and choreographers from
around the world. These teachers and choreographers are
another way for participants to create contacts that will
aid them in achieving their goals as a performer. While
on tour performers are also given the opportunity to audition
for scholarships, as well as audition for Royal Caribbean
Cruise Lines. In the past, many of our participants have
been offered jobs with Royal Caribbean and spend the following
summer performing on a world famous cruise ship.
The biggest accomplishment of the performers while on
tour is the team-building skills they develop while learning
choreography from world famous choreographers. Our participants
work hard to learn the choreography in just 4 short days.
They then perform the routine at the Starpower Battle
of the Stars in front of over 3,000 people. Their performances
take place in Orlando, Florida, Ocean City, Maryland and
Myrtle Beach, South Carolina.
The lessons our participants learn while on tour are ones
in which they will utilize for the rest of their lives.
The friendships they make are unique and irreplaceable
and the memories are unforgettable. The experiences they
have on the Power Pak tour lead many performers to continue
their dedication to their art and pursue careers where
they entertain professionally in Broadway shows, music
videos, on cruise ships and in other shows all across
the nation. If Power Pak alumni aren’t performing;
many are keeping dance close to their heart by pursuing
careers in dance education, writing for dance organizations,
or dance physical therapy, etc. Power Pak is an experience
of a lifetime that our participants and spectators will
never forget.