Dancers from the Royal City Youth Ballet will be representing New Westminster and Canada at several upcoming shows at Disney World in Florida on July 1.
About 40 dancers from the youth troop are heading down to the Disney resort in Florida to perform three stage shows as well as a routine in the Disney parade on Monday.
This is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, said Dolores Kirkwood, artistic director for the youth company. The dancers sent an audition tape to the folks at Disney almost one year ago, featuring original routines and one the magical kingdom directors had prepared.
"(Disney) sent an audition piece by DVD and asked if all the kids would learn that piece, the one that everybody else in the parade does, and then . they said they wanted (us) to come and do the parade and (three) shows as well," Kirkwood said.
The dancers will perform in the Disney World parade on July 1, representing Canada on the nation's birthday, and the Disney directors even sent costumes in Canadian colours for the kids to wear, Kirkwood added.
After the parade, the dancers will perform an original routine for three stage shows at the Premier Theatre, the Hollywood Studios and at a gala dinner event at the resort.
"It sort of covers all that we do," she said. "There's "Waltz of the Flowers" from Sleeping Beauty, then there's a ragtime number that the boys love to do, and then we do the Ukrainian Hopak."
It's been a lot of work to get ready for the performances, but the dancers are so excited Kirkwood said she doubts they mind the extra rehearsing.
"They're so excited about doing this I think that if I kept them dancing all night, they'd do it," she added.
cdobie@royalcityrecord.com
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