The Dance Academy of Prince Rupert is full of talented young dancers, two of which recently received special honours.
One of Prince Rupert’s own is set to represent Canada at the World Dance Championships next December in Poland.
Karlie Fudger, 15, has been training at the Dance Academy of Prince Rupert since she was three years old and is one of 75 talented dancers from Western Canada to earn a spot on the team.
“It’s a big opportunity for me, its definitely the biggest thing I will ever do with my dance career,” she said.
She auditioned for the team in September and was announced as a member earlier in the week.
The championships in modern and contemporary dance are one of many competitions held throughout each year by the International Dancing Organization.
While Fudger is much like a Swiss Army Knife, trained in almost every discipline and style, she will be competing in jazz and ballet at the championships.
Another studio member at the Dance Academy is taking her dancing to the next level. Kaia Jackson has secured a scholarship through the Royal Academy of Dance.
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Jackson was the recipient of the Fiona Campbell Examination Bursary.
Dancing teachers from across the planet nominate their students for the award each year, and only a select few are winners.
The importance of the award is not lost on young Jackson who is just 16 years old.
“I just wanted to enter just to see. I never thought I’d win it, because you know it’s a global thing,” Jackson said.
The money from the scholarship is used to pay for the dancer’s examinations, which one must pass in order to become a professional.
Jackson is currently working toward her Advanced 1 examination; if she passes she will be one test away from qualifying as a professional.
While neither dancer knows what’s next, they both know where it all started and how important the Dance Academy is.
“I’ve been dancing there since I was three, I can’t really see myself dancing anywhere else, its practically my home, the teachers here have taught me everything I know,” Fudger said.
Jackson’s mom Cindy Mah shows the same appreciation for the instructors at the academy.
“The teachers are amazing at the dance academy, Shannon Vallee, who’s been coaching Kaia, she has been wonderful.”