Four pre-professional dancers from the Coast Academy of Dance (CAD) were the stars of the show last Sunday, Feb. 3, at a performance at the Heritage Playhouse in Gibsons.
Meghan Campbell, Tarah Kalman, Michelle Millican and Kristie Sita tapped, twirled and travelled on toes across the stage demonstrating their abilities in all genres from ballet to modern.
They invited the more advanced of their fellow dancers along for the two-hour ride of non-stop dancing. CAD instructors choreographed many of the pieces, and Christina Fitchett, who choreographed several sparkling modern and jazz pieces, organized the production.
Each pre-pro dancer had her solo turn in the spotlight, and in one case, the piece Radar was choreographed by Michelle and danced by the other three - a nice collaboration.
Some of the guest artists included former pre-professional dancers who had gone on to teaching and performing on and off-Coast, such as Sammie Broomhall, who now teaches adult hip hop and jazz dance at the school and who choreographed several dances for the show.
Other highlights included a scrap of Swan Lake under the tutelage of Kathleen Holmes that showcased several advanced ballet dancers en pointe.
The Hip Hop 4 class picked up the pace in showing their stuff.
Hip hop instructor Chris Wong dazzled on his solo dance, Locked, while teacher Rebecca Izad presented her dramatic Go Do, and Jill Cytko soloed to the music of Both Sides Now. Baylee Higgins showed a flair for entertaining in her own lively piece, Stutter.
The pre-professional program has been a joint venture with the schools since the 2006/07 season to allow interested teens to study dance and keep up their high school studies at the same time. They become well-rounded performers and have the opportunity to study for a teaching diploma in the genres of tap or modern.
Funds raised from this winter exhibition go towards a bursary for a student graduating from the program.
The CAD's much larger year-end recital is on June 8 and 9.
