Fourteen ballet students at the Fraser Valley Academy of Dance are a step closer to achieving their goals having successfully auditioned for Canada’s top ballet company schools.
Isabella Almarez (Hatzic Middle School) and Jasia Greenan (Summit Learning) were among the few who qualified for Canada’s National Ballet School summer session following their auditions in Vancouver. Almarez was the only student invited for her age group in an audition class of 40 students.
For Canada’s Royal Winnipeg Ballet School, over 500 auditioned across the country for a coveted 100 places.
Among those 100 selected were six Fraser Valley Academy of Dance students: Grace Loewen (Summit Learning), Almarez (Hatzic Middle School), Anna Neudorf (MEI Middle School), Priscilla Gubiotti (Robert Bateman Secondary), Brooke Thomas (Robert Bateman Secondary), and Chase Bradley (Island Discovery Learning).
Neudorf was honoured to be presented with a full tuition scholarship award following her audition. A seventh student, Lindsay Kim (Langley), has earned a place on the RWBS summer wait list.
Another seven FVAD Mission-trained students have been invited to attend summer sessions at the School of Alberta Ballet: Elle Penner, Alycia Wilson, Katherine Rogalski, Tiffany Reitsema, and siblings Abigail and Andrew Delves. Younger sister Allison Delves was too young to audition for the full program but will be attending their Junior Division summer classes.
All of the above-mentioned students will be performing in Mission as part of the cast of The Nutcracker at the Clarke Theatre on Saturday, Dec. 3. Performances are at 2 and 7 p.m.
Tickets can be purchased online at fvad.ca or call 604-826-0097. They can also be bought at the school office at 33219 1st Ave. or at the door.