Dance,…it’s what I love to do and what I have chosen for my life’s work. How did it all begin?
I was a busy child—climbing walls, walking on virtual shoestrings, and dangling myself from great heights. My parents are the greatest, most grounded people I know. So, how did two such grounded folks deal with an airborne kid? Gymnastics, then dance. Eleven years of gymnastics gave me strength & flexibility. To this day, I use gymnastic flips, leaps, jumps and lifts in dance. I started dancing at the age of five. My parents encouraged me in an endeavour to find an avenue for expression and creativity. I liked dancing at a young age, but my true love and commitment to dance came into play when I became a member of a dance group called “Fresh Groove”, a group of eight to fifteen-year-old boys, me included, who wanted to dance Hip Hop style. I loved it. The groovy, chillin’, yet aggressive style appealed to me. Hip Hop can be explosive and ‘over-the-top’; it can also be more relaxed and ‘chill.’ I also tried lyrical, ballet, tap, and jazz–all dance forms I still enjoy. Recitals are an every-year occurrence. Performing, to me, is a chance to show off my skills. I like that I can present myself to appreciative audiences, offering entertainment and enthusiasm for dance. Knowing that they are enjoying my dances is an honour to be in front of an audience.
Every year, with Campbell River DanceXtreme, we attend Dance Conventions and Competitions. We have many opportunities to attend summer schools, dance camps, and weekend workshops—all great, expansive learning experiences!! Travels and extra training took me from Vancouver to Vegas, L.A. to New York—we crossed the globe to dance! My first time competing was, in fact, with Fresh Groove. It was exciting and nerve-wracking, even downright spooky, entering the unknown world of other dancers at the top of their game. We were a large group of 19-20 dancers, and adjudicators love large group numbers. I am, to this day, nervous before a performance, whether competitive or concert. I shake off my nerves backstage; when I take my first step on stage, I know that I’m in the right place and will do well. “I’ve got this,” is the feeling. “The stage is mine.”
Most recently, at the Vancouver Summit Dance Competition, I won an award for “Highest Scoring Average” as a soloist. Additionally, I received a scholarship to attend the Harbour Dance Studio in Vancouver. Very soon, I will have the opportunity of dancing at the Campbell River Artists’ Exchange. The C.R. Arts Council funds this exchange via the Canada Council for the Arts. It is an honour and a privilege to have been chosen.
Meanwhile, over the years, as I am fast approaching my 17th birthday and senior year in high school, I think about how I have built up my dancing to daily practice at the studio. Adding it up, it equals 33 + hours a week. We perform in “Sneak Peak Into Precision” at our local Tidemark Theatre. These concerts, over a three-day period, are a great idea, as students are introduced to performance-level quality early in the year, after which there is time to fine-tune moves and focus on excellence in performance for future competitions, conventions, and the final, year-end recital—the culminating performance.
There are so many people to thank for getting me this far. These people have been my greatest supporters, my mentors, teachers, coaches, and friends. Esteban Baeza was my gymnastics coach and mentor for eleven years. Shawna Sloan and Buddy Mynatt have been and continue to be my inspirational dance teachers, mentors and friends. Last but not least, my parents and extended family members have been great supporters, encouragers, and financial overseers, who believe in me and continue to invest heart, soul and pocketbook, in my love of dance! I am and will forever be eternally grateful to these special people.
In summation, my dance days are not over. I plan to pursue dance as my career. I want to move from a student’s life to that of a teacher, mentor, choreographer, and studio owner. I want to have my own dance company one day, where my students can excel–even beyond me–where we can offer competitions and conventions across Canada and the United States. Why stop there? There’s no limit to the possibilities!
In summation, my dance days are not over. I plan to pursue dance as my career. I want to move from a student’s life to that of a teacher, mentor, choreographer, and studio owner. I want to have my own dance company one day, where my students can excel–even beyond me–where we can offer competitions and conventions across Canada and the United States. Why stop there? There’s no limit to the possibilities!
