Six Salmon Arm dancers are kicking up their heels.
Chrislyn Austin, Paige Wolfe, Gabriel Fleming, Desirée Krumm and Megan Anderson took part in competitions in Penticton, Kamloops and Kelowna, all earning a spot in Provincials in the process.
Kali Gawley, who teaches hip hop, jazz and ballet at Just For Kicks, says everyone at the school is excited.
Gawley says that at each festival, adjudicators choose one representative and one alternate each from three age categories in ballet, two from modern and three from the stage category, which involves several types of dance – for a total of eight dancers from some 200 competitors.
Last year, Chryslyn was chosen as an alternate, and got into provincials after the number-one pick broke his leg.
“She ended up being a runner up in the stage category,” says Gawley, who notes Paige was another alternate last year.
This year, the five Just For Kicks dancers are top picks in their categories and are looking forward to a week of intensive training in Penticton, with the same adjudicators who gave them the nod at competition.
After intensive daily classes, the dancers compete every night, with the overall winner earning a spot in nationals.
“They’re competing against the elite in the province, so it’s pretty intense,” Gawley says.
In other exciting Just For Kick news, Tanis De Mille won the Artistic Edge Dance scholarship in a competition in Kelowna and will attend the dance camp of her choice.
“It’s the same competition that awarded Just For Kicks owner Patty Fleming the Teacher of the Year award.
“There were about 600 dancers at competition and I could hear her mother screaming,” laughs Gawley of the impressive win. “As a teacher, the best is seeing the reaction of the parents and the students.”
And, on yet another high note, 23-year-old modern dancer, and former Just For Kicks student Nathan Fadear is the 2014 recipient of the $1,000 Salmar Award of Excellence.
Salmar rep John Henderson says Fadear hopes to give a workshop at Just For Kicks later in the summer.
Regular dance classes have ended for the season but two summer camps will be run.
The first camp, which will run from July 28 to Aug. 1, is a great introduction to dance and perfect for someone who doesn’t know if they are interested in taking regular lessons.
The second camp is a ballet and contemporary intensive, which will run Aug. 5 to 8 and is for more experienced dancers.
For more information, visit www.justforkicks.ca or call Margo at 250-832-9469.
