By day he is a freshman student at Lake Orion High School, but by night Charlie Fournier is an accomplished dancer who has the nationally-televised Showstopper Nationals to once again add to his resume.
Fournier, 14, is a member of Deborah’s Stage Door Center for Performing Arts in Rochester Hills, where his mother Linda is also a teacher.
He started dancing as a toddler at his mother’s encouragement, and hasn’t looked back since.
‘I like jazz the best,? said Fournier, who also dances tap, lyrical, ballet, hip-hop, modern and gymnastics.
He started out at Center Stage in Oxford and went to Deborah’s because he was the only boy dancing at Center Stage at the time.
‘He didn’t want to leave his friends,? said Linda, who also used to teach at Center Stage. ‘It’s fun to watch him, like ‘pinch me? fun.?
Linda said as a teacher she can see how much talent Charlie has, but as a parent she has to try to stymy that.
‘He’s really gifted,? she said.
Deborah’s Repertory Company, of which Fournier is a part, won the Senior National Dance Championship Title for the third year in a row at the Showstopper Nationals.
Several other teenagers from Lake Orion and Oxford are also members of the company.
Showstopper was held in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina this past summer. Fournier will appear in several of the numbers that will be featured on the Showstoppers Dance Championships, to be nationally televised New Year’s Day on CBS at 2 p.m.
‘Studios from all across the country compete,? Fournier said. ‘You dance all week and the top scorers get to be on the televised show.?
Fournier was also a member of the Junior group that came in first runner up for the Junior National Title.
He received second highest National Teen Soloist score and was a part of a junior trio that took the Junior Duo/Trio National Championship Title.
This was Fournier’s third time at the Showstopper Nationals. He was featured in the opening number on the show last year.
‘I practice pretty much every day,? he said. ‘On Saturdays we wake up at around 7 and we’re there until 6 p.m.?
Fournier also plays soccer, but focuses only on dance during the winter months.
As for keeping up with school work, Fournier is an honor roll student at LOHS.
‘It can be hard to get back on track if something falls apart,? he said. ‘But usually it’s not too hard.?
He said Showstoppers is his favorite competition that he’s been involved with because it’s ‘the most professional.?
Fournier played the Jester in musical ‘Once Upon A Mattress? for the Rochester Hills Dance and Arts Society at Meadow Brook Theater this past summer.
In December he appeared in performances of ‘A Christmas Spectacular? at the Warren Woods Community Theater.
As for the future, Fournier said he’s still not sure if he will pursue dance or possibly law or business as a career.
‘I’m kind of in between decisions,? he said. ‘I’d like to go to college at the University of Michigan or Michigan State.?