Congratulations to Katy Weatherly who was chosen as the senior ballet representative for the Chilliwack festival and will be attending the BC Festival of Arts in Nanaimo in June this year.

Congratulations to all our students who auditioned and were accepted into the following summer schools.  We wish you all the best with this exciting opportunity!

Annelise Bucher (San Francisco Conservatory), Frances Carroll, Julia Lowndes, Olivia Latendresse and Lauren Probyn (Ecole Superieure de Ballet du Quebec),  Kelly Challinor (American Ballet Theatre – Texas), Kierra Philbrook (Alonzo King’s Lines Ballet School), Katy Weatherly (ABT New York, Boston Ballet School), Kayla Malanfant and Carissa Logan (School of Alberta Ballet), Liam Edgson (Royal Winnipeg Ballet), Zack Warkentin (School of National Ballet of Canada).

Several students from Deas Island Dance have been accepted to international summer programs across the USA and Canada.  The dancers are from Ladner and Tsawwassen and currently train at the Ladner dance school 10-16 hours per week.    The dancers attend a ballet intensive program at Deas Island Dance and also train for Royal Academy of Dance  vocational ballet exams up to Advanced 2 levels.   Aside from ballet, the dancers also take weekly classes in Modern, Lyrical, Jazz, Hip Hop, Tap and Musical Theatre.

The talented students include Annelise Bucher (Boston Ballet), Frances Carroll (American Ballet Theatre New York), Kelly Challinor (Washington Ballet), Lexie Drab (Alvin Ailey American Dance Theatre), Olivia Latendresse (Alberta Ballet), Julia Lowndes (Royal Winnipeg Ballet), Kierra Philbrook (American Ballet Theatre California), Lauren Probyn (Washington Ballet) and Katy Weatherly (Pacific Northwest Ballet).

Travelling to international summer schools is a prestigious opportunity and gives the dancers coveted experience with professional companies.   The summer programs often lead to full time opportunities.  In the past Deas Island Dance students have gained acceptance to full year programs such as the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, Alberta Ballet and the National Ballet of Canada.

Thank you festival dancers for your contribution to our spring coffee concert to aid “Save the Children – Japan”.  The performance raised over $600 toward that charity.  Thank you also to festival groups Kalimba and Offerings for donating their festival cash prizes.  Students chose to send their winnings to childhood cancer research programs at BC Children’s Hospital.

Below are a few special honors received this season: