Tiny dancers
Why these Atlantic Canadians are giving their all to learning forms of dance
Whether it’s tiny ballerinas in their first lessons or a dedicated dancer who has been practising for 10 years, dance is beautiful to watch and is very much an art form itself.
Lexi Fraser from Dartmouth, N.S. is only 12 years old, but she has been dancing for nine of those years.
A highland dancer since the age of three, Fraser began her training with the Stephanie Goodwin School of Dance. At age six, she switched to the Marielle Lesperance School of Dance.
Fraser was inspired you to start taking lessons by watching Youtube videos of highland dancers and says, “I wanted to learn how to do that because it looked really fun.”
ADVANCING THROUGH THE RANKS
“I have focused on highland dance. There are two different types of highland dance — highlands and nationals. I love them both. My favourite dance is the Irish Jig because I get to play a character,” she said.
There are four levels of competitive highland dance: beginner, novice, intermediate (which are the pre-premier levels) and then premier.
To advance through the categories a dancer must earn six stamps per level which is achieved by placing first, second, or third in a dance in competition.
Fraser is currently in the Intermediate competitive category and will be moving to Premier (the top level) later this year. She attends dance class for three-and-a-half hours a week and practices for about one-and-a-half to two hours per week.
PASSIONATE PERFORMER
“I want to preserve the Scottish culture and perform it for others to enjoy, she said. “I also like winning at competitions! I recommend highland dancing for everyone. It is fun and it doesn’t matter which age you start from; you can still enjoy it.”
One of Fraser’s goals is to perform in the Royal Nova Scotia International Tattoo.
Another goal is to join the Amethyst Scottish Dancers.
“I would like to support younger dancers as well. I want to keep dancing as an adult because it keeps me fit and healthy, and it brings me joy.”
“My dance teacher, Marielle Lesperance, because she is a multiple-time world champion including being the first mother to win a world championship,” said Fraser when asked which dancers she admires. “Her determination and her resilience for not giving up inspires me to be just like her.”
INCREASED CONFIDENCE
Charlottetown resident Olivia Stanley started dancing five years ago and has been a competitive dancer for three years.
“I started dancing at the age of nine at the studio Dance Virtuosa with hip-hop and contemporary classes once a week. At the age of 10, I volunteered to be in a music video that Lacey Koughan directed. Shortly after, I joined 24strong.”
Stanley says she was inspired to take dance lessons because she has always had an interest in the arts.
“When I first began dancing, it quickly increased my confidence and sense of wellbeing. I have studied musical theatre, hip-hop, contemporary, lyrical, Jazz, tap, jazz funk and ballet. And my favourite is contemporary,” she said.
HARD WORK AND DEDICATION
At 24Strong, Stanley is a dancer on the Advance Company, which she says requires hard work and dedication.
“When we perform for the judges the excitement and sense of accomplishment makes me want to do it all over again. This feeling never ends and it feels like riding a unicorn,” she said.
There are many professional dancers that Stanley admires, but Brigitte Carroll, Jessica Burrett, Lacey Koughan and Mackenzie Cutcliffe have had the largest impact on her life.
Their stories are so inspirational and I aspire to be just like them,” she said.
“I love the mentorship I received at 24Strong from many different instructors. I’ve learned so much and I really want to pass it onto the next generation. So in my future I would greatly enjoy the opportunity to be a dance instructor and hopefully share the connection I have with my mentors and teammates with others.”
BECAUSE OF THE ARTISTRY
St. John’s resident Julianne Taylor has been taking dance classes for 14 years.
She started taking dance classes when she was two and a half years old, beginning at MAX Dance and then moving to the Steffen Dance Studio.
“There wasn’t much that inspired me to start dancing besides my mother but once I was in it, I loved it and wanted to continue adding on classes,” Taylor said.
Taylor trains between 15-20 hours a week and has studied eight different types of dances: tap, jazz, ballet, modern, hip-hop, pointe, Afro-fusion and acro.
“I am passionate about dance because of the artistry of it — being able to express your emotions through movement while also being able to set goals for improvement.”
Taylor plans on becoming a professional dancer. This summer, she will attend the Joffrey Ballet School in New York City to begin her training.