Toronto, Ontario, December 4, 2015 – Performing Dance Arts (www.PerformingDanceArts.ca), Toronto’s leading dance studio for kids of all ages, is commenting on two Manitoba dancers who will be representing Canada at the International Dance Organization World Championship.
“It’s something we want to acknowledge even though it’s happening on the other side of the country,” says Ashley Daychak, creative director at Performing Dance Arts. “At the end of the day, these young girls are representing Canada. We should all get behind them and wish them the very best of luck.”
Daychak is referring to 14-year-old dancers Kaitlyn Bacon and Sienna Denys-Peters. Both girls will take their talents to Poland for the International Dance Organization’s world championship this week. They are both part of a team of 24 dancers from Western Canada who will be participating in the competition. (Source: Wasney, E., “Local dancers competing on world stage,” November 30, 2015 http://www.brandonsun.com/local/local-dancers-competing-on-world-stage-358742591.html?thx=y.)
“We’ve had dancers from our school go on to do some incredible things, as well, so we know how much hard work it really takes,” Daychak continues. “It’s easy to forget just how young these girls are and thus fail to appreciate what they’re doing and how much it entails. But this is something they will remember for the rest of their lives.”
Committing to the competition has required the girls to spend most of their weekends travelling from their hometown of Brandon, Manitoba to the Shelley Shearer School of Dance in Winnipeg. There they practise for up to 18 hours over the two days they are there.
“Just think of that commitment. Think of the fact that many kids wouldn’t be willing to give up their weekends to train. And then Kaitlyn and Sienna still have to wake up on Monday morning and go to school. Putting in that much work at this young of an age is an accomplishment in itself.”
Both dancers also practise up to 15 hours per week and even help train younger dancers on their technique. The competition runs from December 7–11 in Mikolajki, Poland.
Performing Dance Arts offers both professional and casual dance classes to children of all ages. They operate out of a dance studio in the Woodbridge area and serve all of the York Region and the GTA.
