FAIRFIELD — An accomplished dance studio in Fairfield recently brought back gold from Hip Hop International’s USA Dance Championship in Burbank.

The Chapkis Dance Academy won two gold and two silver medals at the competition May 13-15 at the Los Angeles Marriott Burbank Airport Hotel and Convention Center.

Amber and Greg Chapkis brought younger dancers to this competition, with the Jr. Chapkidz winning the Junior Division and Chapkidz winning the JV Megacrew class.

“This is a completely new generation. My team is well-known and has a huge legacy. We won six years ago, so now the kids that were watching on livestream are now stepping up. For me, it was a test. I just wanted to see how they do. They’re younger. First-timers. Rookies,” Grep Chapkis told the Los Angeles Times.

Attempts to reach Chapkis were unsuccessful.

According to the Times article, the competition became much more personal to Chapkis because of the incorporation of the Ukrainian flag into the dance routine.

Chapkis has ties to Ukraine and a well-known dance family in that country. He still has family, friends and others he knows who are caught up in the war.

“Now it just needs to stop. For me, I’m going to express that and spread awareness through what I do. I felt like Hip Hop International is the perfect platform to send that message,” Chapkis is quoted as saying in the Times article.

The gold medal winners of the HHI USA Dance Championship include Jr. Chapkidz of Fairfield (Junior Division), Lil Supremes of San Diego (Varsity), Alpha League of San Diego (Adult), the Killas Projekt of Las Vegas (Minicrew), Chapkidz of Fairfield (JV Megacrew) and Supremacy Dance Fam of San Diego (Megacrew).

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