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Young dancers look to showcase skills in Germany

At least five young dancers from North Vancouver will be joining Team Canada as they head to Germany later this month to compete in the World Show Dance Championships.
Dancers

At least five young dancers from North Vancouver will be joining Team Canada as they head to Germany later this month to compete in the World Show Dance Championships.

A contingent of 50 dancers nationwide will be travelling to compete in the championships in Riesa, Germany Nov. 20-25, a team that will include Elisse Beckett, 16, and Samantha Olivier, 17, from RNB Dance and Brooklynn Delainey, 11, Isabel Medalla, 11, and Ashley Rabinovitch, 16, from Pro Arté Centre, all located in North Vancouver.

“These are kids that come together from different studios, different communities and different provinces,” said team captain Michelle Gardner. “These kids come from their own studios where they compete against each other. ... We love it because we can bring these kids together and they’re not just competing for a local studio – they’re working together as a team.”

Show dance typically combines techniques from jazz, ballet and modern dance to create a captivating narrative, Gardner explained.

“Show dance – typically it is jazz or contemporary based, but must be very entertaining and tell a story. It is very entertaining. It’s not really a genre that we really have here per se. It’s a combination of things here.”

The team is led and choreographed by Gardner’s daughter, Danielle Gardner, who is a former world dance champion and is known for her work on the TV show So You Think You Can Dance Canada, among other dance and performance credits.

The world dance championships are podium style competitions and feature events such as male and female solo performances, duo competitions and full formation competitions.

Gardner said the team has been practising since late August and has been holding weekly rehearsals since September. “These kids are very dedicated,” she said.

She added that she likes the team’s chances in Germany, but possibly the most important aspect of the trip is how the youth grow as dancers and competitors.

“What we’re told is the kids’ skill-level increase the equivalent to two years of training by working with Team Canada. It’s 11, 12 weeks of training, but it’s fast, they have to learn fast. The whole process – it can be a once-in-a-lifetime experience for these kids.”