Some local dancers will be on stage at the Port Theatre in Nanaimo Saturday, April 14 and it will be an evening dance fans will not want to miss.
Two dance groups from the Parksville Ballet School have been chosen for Dance Gala 2012, which is part of the Upper Island Music Festival also known as the Nanaimo Music Festival.
Selected to perform by adjudicators, the best and most entertaining group dance performers from communities all across Vancouver Island will be presenting an evening of outstanding entertainment.
A group of senior dancers from the Parksville Ballet School will perform a modern dance routine called Blur and a trio will perform a number called Fame.
The purpose of the Upper Island Musical Festival is to advance, promote and develop music, dance and speech arts and to encourage the study and practice of those disciplines.
Now in its 84th year, the festival continues to provide performers a venue to showcase their talents for adjudication and opportunities for the public to enjoy and encourage their accomplishments.
During the festival last month in Nanaimo, competitors rose to the occasion and performed to the very best of their abilities and the Dance Gala will highlight some of the best group dance performances.
The public will be informed that evening which solo dancers were selected to go on to perform at the provincials.
Each regional festival sends its most promising young artists between the ages of 10 and 28 to participate in the annual provincial festival. This year the five day event is being held in Nanaimo May 27 to 30.
At the North Island Festival of the Arts, adjudicators chose some students from the Parksville Ballet School to represent at the provincials. They Include Bronwen Luck for senior ballet, Kristen Freed for senior stage and Nick Atkinson for vocal musical theatre.
Representing the Upper Island Music Festival in Provincials is Youngeun Lee in the dance category of intermediate modern. When Lee learned she had been selected she admitted she was over the moon.
“I was stunned. I was jumping up and down when I found out,” she said.
Lee, who has been dancing for 11 years, said she has never been to the Provincials before and she is thrilled to be representing the Upper Island in her dance category.
She said the modern dance piece she was chosen for, called Science of Forces, was choreographed by Sarah Devito and she worked on it for several weeks.
The performing arts B.C. festival also know as Provincials, is the eagerly- anticipated pinnacle of the festival circuit.
It is hosted by a different regional festival each year and only the most promising young performers from 34 regional festivals are recommended to Provincials where they compete and participate in master classes, coaching, workshops and technique classes with some of North Americas finest adjudicators.
Dance Gala 2012 at the Port Theatre is being held Sat., April 14 at 7 p.m.