Ballet, hip hop, jazz, contemporary and more will be performed in two Shuswap Dance Center performances this month.
First up is the end-of-season dance recital.
All the students from ages three and up will perform in the recital that will be a celebration of the studio’s decade of operation in Salmon Arm.
“It will be all of the highlight pieces from the past 10 years, including one of the kids’ favourite pieces called Apologize that was one of the first contemporary pieces,” says studio owner Carolyn Wonacott. “The most fun for the kids I’ve had for seven to 10 years was seeing the little kids dance what they danced when they were that age.”
Wonacott says viewing videos of past performances for choreographic purposes had unexpected results.
“It was a trip down memory lane for the dancers and teachers,” she says, noting this is the first year that some of the dancers will be graduating from school and moving on with their dance as well. “Two of them are going to the National Ballet School’s summer program and one of them has been accepted into the full-time program but must audition again this summer.”
The year-end show takes place at 1:30 and 6:30 p.m. on June 11 at the SASCU Rec Centre.
The following week on Saturday, June 18, Shuswap Theatre will be the venue for a Gala Highlight Show.
This show that begins at 7 p.m. will feature all the pre-competition and competition numbers from the past dance season.
“They all won awards at competition this year and the pieces are outstanding,” says Wonacott speaking about her students with evident pride. “They were competing against the best from the Okanagan and the Lower Mainland; they’re top-notch.”
There will be ballet, contemporary, lyrical, hip hop and a little bit of Bollywood, with lots of solos, duos, trios and group numbers.
Tickets for both shows are available at the Shuswap Dance Center at 590 Okanagan Ave. SE on Monday through Wednesday from 2:30 to 6:30 p.m., or at the door.