50p
Brentwood Dancers Get Down Downtown
The dance program at Brentwood is open to athletes of all levels and gives opportunities for even the most advanced dancer to be adventurous and try new things.
One such example of this encouragement of curious artists was the dance trip to Vancouver the weekend of February 3rd. Dancers had the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and try new styles of dance, learning from teachers with a high level of expertise.
The trip began Friday afternoon as nearly 30 dancers boarded the bus and took the ferry to Vancouver. Upon arriving in Vancouver, the group went to the Chickpea Restaurant for a delicious array of gluten-free and vegan tapas.
Everyone discussed the exciting days of exploring the city to come while passing around dishes of crunchy chickpea fries and flavourful hummus. With full stomachs and heavy feet from a long day of travel, we arrived at the Sandman Hotel around 11pm, and went straight to sleep - except for gamer Dylan G, Whittall ‘23, who had a rodent in his room and claimed, “A mouse ruined my Victory Royale!”.
Saturday started off bright and early with everyone gathered in the lobby and ready to leave by 8:30am. We took the bus to downtown Vancouver and hopped off at Harbour Dance Centre, where dancers were allowed to sign up for drop-in classes of their choosing, ranging from house dance to classical ballet.
In addition to taking classes, we had plenty of time in between to get food and go shopping. Vancouver has many healthy options for food that accommodate dietary restrictions, such as the amazing acai smoothie bowls offered right next door to the studio!
The classes were tiring, both mentally, from the unfamiliar teaching styles and types of dance, and physically – the studio quickly got hot and sweaty from dancers hard at work. However, it was exciting to try new styles of dance, and Brentwood students spread positivity in every class by cheering others on.
Sophie W, Mackenzie ‘23, endorsed the trip, claiming, “[It] let me do styles of dance I am not used to doing at Brentwood – it was a great experience!”. It is evident from her attitude that the dancers embodied the Brentwood motto of grit and joy throughout the trip.
After a quick stop at the hotel to shower and recuperate, we went to a stretch and strength workshop together, led by professional dancer Kluane Peabody. We started the class with a 10-minute Q&A, and even for those who were not planning on pursuing dance professionally, Kluane’s answers were interesting and insightful.
Dance teacher Ms Amy Staples said the workshop helped students “get information on post-secondary options and how they can implement dance into their […] lives”.
We spent the evening in Kitsilano, and the next morning had the opportunity to take more drop-in classes before heading back to the Island. While brief, the trip was equal parts informative and exciting, and inspired students to keep their passion for dancing after graduation.
Emma W, Alexandra ‘23
One such example of this encouragement of curious artists was the dance trip to Vancouver the weekend of February 3rd. Dancers had the opportunity to step outside their comfort zone and try new styles of dance, learning from teachers with a high level of expertise.
The trip began Friday afternoon as nearly 30 dancers boarded the bus and took the ferry to Vancouver. Upon arriving in Vancouver, the group went to the Chickpea Restaurant for a delicious array of gluten-free and vegan tapas.
Everyone discussed the exciting days of exploring the city to come while passing around dishes of crunchy chickpea fries and flavourful hummus. With full stomachs and heavy feet from a long day of travel, we arrived at the Sandman Hotel around 11pm, and went straight to sleep - except for gamer Dylan G, Whittall ‘23, who had a rodent in his room and claimed, “A mouse ruined my Victory Royale!”.
Saturday started off bright and early with everyone gathered in the lobby and ready to leave by 8:30am. We took the bus to downtown Vancouver and hopped off at Harbour Dance Centre, where dancers were allowed to sign up for drop-in classes of their choosing, ranging from house dance to classical ballet.
In addition to taking classes, we had plenty of time in between to get food and go shopping. Vancouver has many healthy options for food that accommodate dietary restrictions, such as the amazing acai smoothie bowls offered right next door to the studio!
The classes were tiring, both mentally, from the unfamiliar teaching styles and types of dance, and physically – the studio quickly got hot and sweaty from dancers hard at work. However, it was exciting to try new styles of dance, and Brentwood students spread positivity in every class by cheering others on.
Sophie W, Mackenzie ‘23, endorsed the trip, claiming, “[It] let me do styles of dance I am not used to doing at Brentwood – it was a great experience!”. It is evident from her attitude that the dancers embodied the Brentwood motto of grit and joy throughout the trip.
After a quick stop at the hotel to shower and recuperate, we went to a stretch and strength workshop together, led by professional dancer Kluane Peabody. We started the class with a 10-minute Q&A, and even for those who were not planning on pursuing dance professionally, Kluane’s answers were interesting and insightful.
Dance teacher Ms Amy Staples said the workshop helped students “get information on post-secondary options and how they can implement dance into their […] lives”.
We spent the evening in Kitsilano, and the next morning had the opportunity to take more drop-in classes before heading back to the Island. While brief, the trip was equal parts informative and exciting, and inspired students to keep their passion for dancing after graduation.
Emma W, Alexandra ‘23