For 12-year-old Kate Rose, the auditions for the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School summer program were no joke.
A very selective program, the school’s professional division boasts of “taking on the responsibility of nurturing young artists” so that they might pursue professional careers in dance, according to an email Kate received from school director Arlene Minkhorst.
But the Burnaby dancer kept a calm mindset during her audition and, upon being accepted into the program, was thrilled at the opportunity.
Chosen from several hundred dancers from across the country, Kate was one of 25 dancers in her age group to be accepted into the competitive program.
Kate began dancing when she was only two years old, at a small recreation centre near her home in Bellevue, Washington.
Initially, Kate was told she was too young to take the class, but, after being given the chance to try it out, the teachers were amazed at her level of focus for a two-year-old and invited her to stay.
Later, Kate moved to the Emerald Ballet Theatre to continue her dancing.
When she was seven, Kate’s family moved to New Westminster, and she joined the Vancouver Junior Professional Division (VJPD).
After studying there for a couple of years, VJPD closed down.
Kate’s mother, Kymberlee, said it was difficult to find another studio for Kate because she was so young but working at such a high level.
Kate was faced with the option of either dancing with girls her own age who were far behind her in terms of skill, or dancing with much older girls who were at her level. Neither one appealed to her.
Fortunately, Kate was able to find her place at her current studio, HZ Ballet Classique in Burnaby.
The young dancer was involved in two productions of the Nutcracker over the holiday season, one with the Alberta Ballet and one with Ballet Bloch. In the Alberta Ballet production, Kate played a palace page girl, and in the Ballet Bloch production she played a party girl, a Russian dancer and a Chinese dancer.
The dancer has also competed at the Youth America Grand Prix competitions in Seattle twice, in 2015 and 2017.
While she says she is not much of a competition person, Kate enjoyed competing at the Grand Prix as it gave her a chance to reconnect with old friends.
Kate dances about 15 hours a week, leaving little time for other activities such as homework, hanging out with friends and even relaxing.
While tiring, Kate says that for her, it is worth it to be able to spend so much time doing what she is passionate about.
When asked whether she wants to pursue dance as a career, Kate said she’s not sure yet, but she loves dance and wants to continue to have it as a part of her life no matter what.
Theresa Cowley is a work experience student from New Westminster Secondary School.
