Competition dancers from Karen Clark Dance Studio will take to the stage in March to perform in what’s called Stage Stars.
Stage Stars acts as their shake down performance to prepare them for their competition in April.
“It’s tap, jazz, ballet, hip hop, it’s everything, and it’s the ones that have been chosen to do solos, duos, trios, quads and select groups,” said Karen Clark, owner of the dance studio.
The performance is put on every year and will see 82 dancers ranging from age nine to 20.
Dancers get their Additional Performance Opportunity (APO) offer at the beginning of November and start rehearsals in December.
They are chosen out of the studio to perform and work towards their competitions.
“All these routines that are performed in the show will then go onto competition,” said Clark, adding that the dancers will compete in Duncan and the Lower Mainland.
“First of all the teacher has to have an idea for them, and that is really nice. Instead of the teacher looking at a class of dancers and saying ‘okay here’s the class, here’s what I got,’ the teacher chooses who she wants to work with or who he wants to work with and has an idea for that specific either dancer or group of dancers,” said Clark.
The dancers are then put into slots.
If it’s a small group of five or six, the choreography has been tailored to not only the song, but the people that are going to do the dance and their skills. And so, instead of being in a group of 20, Clark said, they’re then working in a smaller group with a teacher that has gotten something specifically for them.
“These are kids that obviously love to dance and our theory is in the studio it doesn’t really matter what a child excels at doing…it’s important to do something that makes them feel confident and to have another group of friends that are there besides school friends,” she said.
She said the kids spend lots of time together forming many friendships, making it like their dance family.
Stage Stars will take place March 3 beginning at 7 p.m. at the Mary Winspear Centre.
Tickets can be purchased by calling 250-656-0275.