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Three teen dancers help Team Canada win bronze at world championships Three Center Stage dancers were part of an award-winning Canadian Showdance team in Germany. Julia Bonifacio, 12, Abigail Dillon, 12, and Alyssa Gibbons, 14, traveled to Germany, Nov. 21-28 to compete as part of Team Canada in the junior division of Showdance world championships. According to Julia, this is a dance style that tells a story. The judges look at technique and style, but more importantly, they look at the formations on stage. The girls had won places in the competition after auditioning for famed singer, dancer and choreographer Blake McGrath this summer. Alyssa said while many of the teams trained together all year to prepare for this competition, the Canadian team met only five times prior to the competition for choreography and rehearsals. The Canadian team placed third among 22 teams competing-- two teams from Slovenia won the gold and silver. Julia said Canada had very strong technique compared to the other teams, but others had some very creative ideas. Members of the Slovenia team that won were imagine a life all chess piecwithout dance es and they and Center played out a Stage. It is a like game of chess a second famas they danced, ily to me. Dance she said. fills my soul! "When we Alyssa were first getagreed. "It was ting on the an awesome stage we were experience, alall very nerthough now I vous," said Alwould like to yssa, "but afaudition for ter that it was other things as all excitement Alyssa Gibbons, Julia Bonifacio and Abigail Dillon-- all Center Stage danc- well," she said. and the urge to ers-- were part of the Team Canada that danced to a bronze medal in the "Dance has benail our dance. junior division of the Showdance world championships. come my greatWe believe our est passion. I performance have been danclia. "After the performance we was awesome. We know we were able to watch the dance ing since the age of four and did the best we could." on a video screen backstage. loved it ever since. It has given Abigail said, "We think our The whole team was very ex- me discipline, talent and amazperformance went very well cited and thrilled to hear our ing friends. Dance is my escape. and we really pulled it together marks." It has helped me through the out there! ...We were very techBoth Abigail and Alyssa difficult times in my life and I nically strong and we definite- hope to repeat the experience hope I can continue to pursue ly stood out because we had a in the future. dance all life long." different style than the other "Dance has helped me show "It was the most memorable teams, but there was definitely trip and experience I've ever everyone who I really am. It some very strong teams-- very had. Next time I would like to has brought me out of my shell, stiff competition. It was very try the tap team. I really loved allowed me to make wonderful close." the experience," said Abigail. friendships and has given me "I was very excited but a lit- "For me, dance is a huge part of many incredible opportunitle bit nervous to be perform- who I am. I have danced with ties," said Julia, but at the same ing for live television in front Kelly and Claudia (Center Stage time, she wouldn't want to do of the entire world," agreed Ju- owners) for 10 years. I cannot this again. "I want to keep this 23 Independent & Free Press, Thursday, January 6, 2011 as a very special memory and so I don't want to do it again. It would be different." The girls traded Halton Hills pins with many dancers from other countries, especially the girls from South Africa because they stayed in the same hotel as the Canadian team. Julia traded her Mom's Canada jacket with one of the South African dancers. The girls even joined in on the South African team's warm-up at the competition. "We are so proud of these young ladies! Not only are they wonderful dancers but they are great role models and ambassadors for the Town of Halton Hills," say Kelly Paddle and Claudia Caicedo, owners/ Artistic Directors of Center Stage School of the Arts. "Having the opportunity to travel and dance abroad allows these girls the chance to see beyond their own experience, be inspired and be an inspiration to others. Trips and experiences like this can broaden their scope of the kinds of possibilities that are achievable and attainable in the future, either in the field of dance or any other pathway they choose to follow." #RAIG ¬,"3¬,/34 5LTIMATE¬5¬#ONTEST ¬7INNER -/,/Ê/" 9Ê Ê+19Ê ",Ê9"1,Ê Ê/"Ê Ê !¬42)0¬&/2¬47/¬ 4/¬!.¬%8/4)#¬ $%34).!4)/.Ê 7). 6)3)4¬53¬4/$!9¬",ÊÊÊ&2%%¬.!452!,¬#,%!.3%¬+)4 Ê&2%%¬(%!,4(¬!.!,93)3°Ê./¬/",)'!4)/.° 1Ê7/Ê"--Ê ÒÊ"Ê",/"7 ÊÊÊÊÊÊÎÇ£Ê"1 / 67Ê," Ê-"1/Ê Ê /i\Êäx°ÇäÓ°ääÇÓÊÊÊÊÊÊ>\ÊÕ}iÀ}iÌÜJÕÜi}ÌÃðVÊ ÜÜÜ°LiViÕ>}>°V .O¬OBLIGATION¬&IRST¬VISIT¬ONLY¬-UST¬BE¬¬YEARS¬OF¬AGE¬OR¬OLDER¬¬/THER¬CONDITIONS¬APPLY¬0LEASE¬SEE¬5¬7EIGHT¬,OSS4-¬FOR¬DETAILS