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m m m Phone: 905-845-3824 (ext. 5559) Fax: 905-337-5567 e-mail: rjerred@haltonsearch.com W l .1 ) M ;SI )AY. .11 I Y .5. 2 ( K ) 2 · i m h < (.1 Junior Miss dancer has grace and heart By Mary-Louise Langlois SPECIAL TO THE OAKVILLE BEAVER Winning a major competition in any field, at any level doesn't just happen. It's not luck. It takes practice, dedication, drive, ambition, more practice-- and talent. And winning the Junior Miss Dance pageant didn't just happen for 13 year-old Kelly Shaw. She had all the required attributes need ed for success, plus a big dose of heart. "When Kelly dances, she dances from her heart and soul," said dance teacher Carla Marques. Marques, co-owner of Premiere Dance in Oakville, has been Shaw's teacher for seven years. Shaw began preparing for the Dance Masters of America (Chapter 43) Junior Miss Dance pageant last December. With the competition scheduled to take place this past spring, Kelly spent months working on the choreography with Marques. There was a lot to prepare for. The Dance Master Pageant isn't just about dancing -- the judges consider the whole person. Shaw not only had to prepare her lyrical dance for the talent por tion of the pageant, but also-for the audition segment which includ ed tap, jazz, ballet and acrobatics. The second component of the competition is the interview in which contestants are given an opportunity to show who they really are. "They (the judges) like to know about the child and whether that child would be well suited to represent their chapter down at the nation als, which is where Kelly and I will be going in July. Although it is about dance they also would like to know that the chap ter representative (Shaw) is a nice person and can converse with people," said Marques. The final component is the talent performance. Shaw chose to do lyrical dance, which is interpretation of music with words. It is a slower form of jazz, but with ballet. "She interprets music so well that this piece of music (Little Bird , sung by recording artist Jewel) was a very mature piece but because of her maturity and her involvement in the dance I thought she could handle it. I took the chance and it worked," said Marques, who cho reographed the dance. "At this level the most important thing is the fluidity of a dancer. The girls are getting to that level of maturity where they have to start moving from inside." At ages 12 and 13 there is a transition in dance styles from that of little girl to young woman. The contestants are marked in all three areas, each worth a certain percentage. The winner earns the championship based on the over all combined highest marks. After only a few months of recreational dancing Shaw began competing at age eight. She stepped in to a competition at the last minute when a competitive dancer at the dance school broke her arm and couldn't compete. After that, Shaw didn't look back.. .it was the beginning of her competitive career. She began with ballet, her first Peter C. McCusker · Oakville Beaver D ancer Kelly Shaw is the w inner of the Ju n io r Miss Dance Pageant. Shaw attends Prem iere Dance. love, but, in recent years, has also been studying tap, jazz, lyrical, hip York; she is now back at work preparing for the national pageant scheduled to take place in Orlando, Florida. hop and pointe. She will be competing July 29, but she will first participate in Time management is extremely important to Shaw, who main tains an A average and trains about 16 hours a week. She recently dance workshops that run from 9 a.m. until about 10 p.m. "Kelly is unbelievable... she's driven. She's a great student at graduated from Fern Hill School as a straight A student. In the fall she begins her senior years at Oakville Trafalgar High school, a great student at the studio. She's very hard working, dedi cated and polite. She really takes what you give her and it processes School. Shaw spoke of the importance of a positive mental attitude when through her mind and then through her body through dance. Speaking as a teacher you can't ask any more than that," remarked preparing for a dance pageant. "You have to say (to yourself) `I'm going to try the best that I can Marques. Marques tells parents, "This isn't just about dance, this a learn and if I don't come out a winner it's okay' because I love to be on ing process -- learning how to be with other kids, learning how to stage dancing. be in a class, learning about discipline and respect. How to conduct "You have to say I love to dance and that's it," she added. Each DMA (Dance Masters of America) chapter has its own pag yourself." As Shaw prepares for the competition in Florida her positive atti eant and the winners of the chapter competition qualify to participate tude is clear and steadfast. in the Dance Masters of America's annual competition. "I want to try the best that I can. I feel I have already accom Thirty-four young artists competed in the district contest this plished a great goal by winning Junior Miss Dance. This pageant in spring, all vying to represent the local chapter. Shaw took some time off after winning the pageant in North Orlando is just the next step." Fans melted over pop stars Velvet Empire By Lindsey Craig SPECIAL TO THE BEAVER Hundreds of pre-teen girls anxiously awaited their chance last Thursday to meet with the newest Canadian musical sensation Velvet Empire. From 4-6 p.m., Velvet Empire -- the new Popstars group, signed autographs and posed for pictures with young fans at Wal-Mart on Hays Boulevard. It was the group's first appearance in the Oakville area, and fans, equipped with cameras and colourful signs, began lining up outside the store by 3 p.m. Many waited well over an hour for the opportunity to meet Justin Humes (from M ontreal), Alex Price (Vancouver), Janelle Belgrave (Toronto), Ryan Hamilton (Edmonton) and Lacey Block (Lethbridge). Natalie Goik, 12, said she'd been a Velvet Empire fan "since they came out" and that Justin was her favourite. Crystal Shurland, 13, said she liked Janelle best, while Rachael Ryan, 12, said Alex was her favourite. Both fans agreed that Frontin' On Me was one of the group's best tracks. The two were able to attend the event thanks to a devoted grandmother who drove them. Approximately 400 people turned out for the occasion, patiently waiting in line behind yellow ropes set up to main tain the crowd, which was comprised mostly of young girls and accompany ing adults. Other Oakville fans came from St. M arguerite's and St. Bernadette's, among other schools. However, young people were also drawn to the event from cities beyond Oakville, such as Burlington and Mississauga. One pair of 14-year-olds to make a particularly long journey to get here was Cristine Lehmann and her friend Adam Fowler. The duo live in Cambridge, and began their trek with a 9 a.m. bus to Hamilton. Surviving a thunder and lightening storm, they then took a bus to Burlington at 11:35 a.m., and from there a train to Oakville. "We missed the 10:35 a.m. bus because we were talking and so excit ed," said Lehmann. Arriving at the train station in Oakville, they then completed the trip with a bus ride to Wal-Mart. But their efforts, they said, were well worth it. The two had previously learned of a contest whereby if fans were spotted at the event with a large sign that read, "Carrie is cool", they would be able to meet the group and pose with them for a picture. Lehmann and Fowler made a sign that boldly dis played the message and were chosen as the contest winners. After meeting their idols and getting their pictures taken with them, a tearyeyed Lehmann was in shock. "I can't believe it," she said. Lehmann also echoed the sentiments of many, including one mom, by saying that Justin was her favourite, while Fowler said he liked Janelle the best. Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver The crowd outside W al-M art reacts upon the arrival of the m em bers of the pop group Velvet E m pire T hursday afternoon. The lineup to see the rising stars started about 8 a.m . for the autograph signing which started at 4 p.m. The two agreed that Now You Don't and Don't Tell Me were their favourite tracks and that they were amazed by their chance to meet the group. Velvet Empire was created as a result of Popstars -- Boy Meets Girl, a 10 month process of intense interviews and competitions. In the beginning, 4,000 Canadian teens and young adults auditioned to make the group, with the selection process finally narrowed to 30, and then the final five -- which created Velvet Empire. The group's debut album is self-titled and contains 12 tracks, one of which made it to number one on MTV's daily countdown. In addition to their Oakville appear ance, Velvet Empire also held an auto graph signing at a W al-Mart in Richmond Hill, and sang the national anthem at the July 3 Toronto Argonauts home game. The Wal-Mart appearances were sponsored by Salon Selectives. Barrie Erskine · Oakville Beaver Velvet Em pire m em bers, from left, Alex Price, Ju stin Hum es, Janelle Belgrave, Ryan H am ilton, and Lacey Block. 2 Seasoned flame-broiled patties Smoked natural Cheddar cheese · Black Stack BBQ sauce · 2 Full strips ot bacon · Bakery style bun