TISDALE — Four local dancers are graduating from the Tisdale Dance Centre this year, and the Dance Extravaganza was their final performance of the year.
Hannah Kapeller has spent the last six years with the Tisdale Dance Centre, and she is expected to graduate at the end of the year.
Her favorite dance is lyrical.
“I like expressing myself through dance and it’s really beautiful, it tells a story, and Dana [Mutimer] always has great choreography for us,” Kapeller said. “So it’s good.”
Her favorite dance from the performance was River.
“It’s just so beautiful and the choreography is so well designed and done and structured and the story that we’re telling is so nice.”
Kapeller said she believes that while the story of the dance is about a river, it is also about unity.
“We describe it through more swayed movements, moving our bodies like the softness of the river.”
Next year she plans on attending the Edwards school of business at the University of Saskatchewan to work on a Bachelor of Commerce degree, with the goal of applying to law school after.
She intends to continue dance in whatever way she can find, but expects the next year to be busy for her and not allow much time for it.
Kapeller said one of the best parts about being with the Tisdale Dance Centre was the friendships.
“You truly gain so many lifelong friends. As well, you gain other skills like learning to be on time for things and learning to hold yourself in a good way and take care of yourself.”
Allison Elmslie is another dancer who is expected to graduating this year.
She has been dancing for 11 years.
Elmslie plans to move to Saskatoon and has applied for Saskatchewan Polytechnic’s Medical Radiologic Technology and Therapeutic Recreation.
“I love coming to dance, I love being with the instructors, I love teaching the little kids I get to teach, and I love my group that makes it all for me,” Elmslie said. “They’re my family now and I love them.”
Her favorite type of dance is hip-hop.
“Hip-hop is my groove. I love getting down to the music, I love finding what I am. My hip-hop solo this year was my favorite thing ever and I did well, I won lots of awards.”
Elmslie’s solo was to a song by Fergie.
“It’s was kind of groovy and sassy and that’s kind of where my skills come out and showing my face and doing all that kind of stuff.”
The solo received most outstanding in three competitions she performed in.
“I won a thing to go to Vegas for my hip-hop solo, too,” Elmslie said.
Paige Messer started dancing 14 years ago, and this year she is expected to graduate and go on to elementary education at the University of Regina.
Her favorite type of dance is hip-hop.
“I just like the energy it has around it and a lot more of the dances are a lot more structured and this is kind of carefree, so I like that,” Messer said.
Her favorite dance in the recital was Modern Group.
“It’s just super unique and a little bit different choreography than I’ve seen from Dana before, so I really like it,” Messer said. “It’s just like more dark, and I’ve done a few dark dances before. It’s more mature.”
“Just like the moves where it’s shadows, we’re dressed very dark and the movements are supposed to be gooey.”
She hopes to keep dancing but doesn’t know if she will be able to at this present time.
Aunnkia McPeak is the final dancer graduating from the program this year. She plans on starting a social work degree.
Her favorite dance at the recital was also River.
“Lyrical is my passion, it’s one of my favorites,” McPeak said. “Lyrical is just a faster version of ballet.”
For those who are thinking about joining dance, she said they should know how much of a family the team is.
“You just get incorporated with a big family and all get treated the same,” McPeak said. “It’s also very fun and you get to learn a whole bunch of different stuff and techniques along the way until you’re ready to graduate.”
