Three high school seniors from the Kelowna-area say balancing life and dance is a challenge, but when you love something, you make it work. And Savannah Goncalves, 17, Kathryn McKay, 17, and Sunny Sokolowski, 16, have found their stride.
The dancers, who practise out of the Lake Country School of Dance (LCSD), will represent Canada at the International Dance Organization (IDO) World Ballet and Jazz Championships near Warsaw, Poland.
Goncalves, a Grade 12 student at Okanagan Mission Secondary, said the trio香蕉视频直播檚 main goal is to secure gold at the IDO, which is considered the Olympics of dance.
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Training is no walk in the park for the dedicated dancers with nearly 25 years of experience between the three of them. While many teenagers are soaking up summer香蕉视频直播檚 rays on one of the Okanagan香蕉视频直播檚 many beaches, Goncalves, McKay and Sokolowski are training and rehearsing, and when they香蕉视频直播檙e not training, they香蕉视频直播檙e travelling between LCSD and Vancouver to train with Team Canada.
香蕉视频直播淥n choreography days, we香蕉视频直播檙e dancing four to five hours on each piece a day for like a week,香蕉视频直播� Goncalves said. 香蕉视频直播淣ow that all our choreo is set, we香蕉视频直播檙e going to Vancouver every other Sunday and driving back.香蕉视频直播�
But to be able to represent the country and learn a variety of styles from the some of British Columbia香蕉视频直播檚 finest dancers is worth it, they said.
Team Canada consists of two groups of dancers; one from B.C. and another from Alberta. The LCSD students tried out in October 2018 and learned later that month they had been accepted. Now, almost a year later, they are putting the finishing touches on performances as they prepare to take the world stage on Dec. 1-9, 2019.
With school right around the corner, the dancers realize their schedules are going to get more hectic香蕉视频直播攅specially with this being their senior year.
香蕉视频直播淏alancing school and dance is difficult,香蕉视频直播� straight-A Kelowna Secondary School student Sokolowski said. 香蕉视频直播淵ou have to be self-motivated and there are a lot of late nights.香蕉视频直播�
香蕉视频直播淥ur school district doesn香蕉视频直播檛 recognize dancers as athletes,香蕉视频直播� Goncalves said. 香蕉视频直播淎t our school, we don香蕉视频直播檛 get any support blocks, we just have to do it on our own.香蕉视频直播�
The three agreed, their passion leads to a lot of early mornings and late nights. But ultimately, this is just the beginning.
As this is the trio香蕉视频直播檚 last year of competitive dance with their school, they are looking toward the future.
The girls are planning on moving to Vancouver next year to dance for a company together, while Sokolowski has his eye on Los Angeles, where he wants to pursue commercial work.
Each dancer had a different path into the craft; McKay香蕉视频直播檚 mother was a professional ballet dancer and she grew up around dance and the stage all her life, so it was an easy transition; Goncalves wanted to be a princess ballerina when she was just four years old; and Sokolowski needed something to put his wild childhood energy into, but then he fell in love with the stage.
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Caitlin.clow@kelownacapnews.com
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