Slava Doval’s DanceFusion will take over the Capitol Theatre stage next Saturday for its third annual student showcase.
There will be more than 120 dancers of all ages performing dances inspired by Bollywood, street jazz, electro swing, contemporary, hip hop, skirt dance, Afro-house, Afro-Colombian and more.
“I’ve been getting into a lot more urban styles and becoming less folky,” Doval said of her dance program.
Originally her school was called FolkFusion but she changed it to DanceFusion last year to be more encompassing of all styles.
“It’s been a natural progression. I’ve been teaching a lot of the same students for years, and they want to try new things,” she said.
Doval, who was born in Slovakia, began developing her signature style of fusion dance four years ago. It started with one small class of her niece and five of her niece’s friends who would go to the markets to dance.
From there it grew into a full-time job. DanceFusion now offers 19 classes per week, and Doval teaches all but three of them. She brought on a few extra instructors in January to help out with some new classes, like break dance and introduction to skirt dance.
In the summertime, her students regularly perform at outdoor events like MarketFest, Starbelly Jam and Unity Fest. The annual showcase is the one time each year DanceFusion presents its own dance-only event.
Each of the two parts in the 90-minute program will begin with dances by the little kids, ages five and six, and progress to the adult dances. Doval’s been really excited about the number of mothers and grandmothers who have joined her classes in the past year.
“I always get a ton of little kids, but it’s been great to see more of a representation in the older age ranges,” she said. “The parents enjoy themselves just as much as their kids do.”
Slava Doval’s DanceFusion Showcase goes Saturday, March 1 at the Capitol Theatre at 2 p.m. and 6:30 p.m. Tickets $6 for the matinee or $12 for the evening. Buy online capitoltheatre.bc.ca or phone 250-352-6363.
