The Canadian Champion, Friday, January 2, 2004-15 «Local duo takes love of ballet to the next level Dance Shoppe graduatos Carly Mller (left) and Kelaey-Lynn Corradettl and are keeplng busy as newcomers to the prestiglous Quinte Ballet School of Canada In Belleville. Photo by GRAHAM PAINE I ~ THE MILTON CHAMBER 0F COMMERCE proudly presents the 2nd Annual SPORTS CELEBRITY DINNER & AUCTION 1 sr GRANITE RIDGE GOLF CLUB Platinum Sponsor: Mario Forgione, Milton Ice Hawks Junior A Hockey Club ___ jesday, January 20t , 2004 Tiktç U New! plus GST Silver Sponsor: Woodbine Entertainment, Milton Canadian Champion Friend Sponsors: Milton Home Hardware Building Centre, Arthur Electric, Milton Toyota and Rexdale Redi-Mix Inc. WENDEL. CLARK I - K h -.k~ II MIKE O'SHr. DF NNIS HLL GORD STELLICK ffls (J".d lit, 'L'j'h. 1 .Il, III, c, "I Nifl 1 1 à II, N i Il . ..... MARNIE Mc-BFAN Luc OUîErLTTE MIKE MORREALE .1 ShKk k -I kit k k kk k Cai the Chamber for tickets @ 905-878-0581 LOVER $10,000 RAISED FOR THE CHAMBER SCHOLARSHIP FUND IN 2003 By STEPHANIE THIESSEN The Champion When Carly Miller was a littie girl, her grandparents took her to sec The Nutcracker. It was while she sat in that plush seat, eyes sparkling, that she knew. One day she was going to be a ballerina. "That's where t got my start," said tise i 8-yesr-old Milton resident. Back for the bolidays from Quinte Ballet Scisool of Canada in Belleville, Ms Miller took a few moments to reflect on her fit-st seasofl at the school, whicis concluded tbis monts witis her dancing in tise scisool's pro- duction of Tise Nutcracker - a drearn corne trait. Bots Ms Miller and 1 2-year-old Milton resident Kelsey-Lynn Conzadetti trained at Tise Dance Shoppe on Main Street and left Milton bo start at Quinte just a few months agio. After watching The Nutcracker as an eight-year-old, Ms Milter sald it didn't take her long to start working towards tise goal of becoming a professional dancer. She enrolled at Tise Dance Shoppe, owned by Ruth-Ann Gray, tise following monts. T'Mat was 10 years ago. "Ruth-Ans is always so supportive,' Ms Miller said. "Sie's always tisere pusising me ton-ry different auditions, and giving me opportunities to teacis." Ms MIe sald sise isopes to teacis dance but wants to keep ber options open, s0 sse's taking tise teacisers' training and profes- sional programns. "I was always watcbing ber (Ms Gray) teacis and tise way sise taugbt. t wanted to be just like ber," site said. Ms Milicer and Kelsey-Lynn, a former student at Holy Rosa-y Separate Scisool, botb toured witb The Nutcracker, pcrform- ing ins Belleville, Kingston and Toronto. Botb mentioned that one of the tour's higbligbts was tise Toronto performance, where bustoads of Dance Shoppe students, instructors and parents sbowed up to offer tbeir support. While Ms MilIler graduated from bigb scisool last year, Kelsey-Lyrm is continuing to take regular classes aI Quinte. Eacb day, sise must balance ber workload to get everytising done. And thats no small feat. For tise first isalf of tise day sise takes reg- ular classes, wbile tise second balf - until 6 or 7 p.m. - is filled witb dance classes. Kelsey-Lyrm sald tise biggest challenge sse's isad to face at Quinte is bomesick- nets. Sise and Ms Miller live with billets wbo act as tiseir famnilies away from borne. 'Il iad to leave alI my friends. At fit-st it was bard, but as 1 went along, it became easier as 1 made more friends,' sise said, adding sise isad to get used to billeting. "'m used to my own family, not someone cIsc's." Kelsey-Lynn's mom, Tosca Corradetti, sald altisougs sbe knew sbe'd miss ber daugister if accepted into Quinte, tshe didn't want to bold ber back. And tshe feels Quinte is wbere Keltey-Lynn is suppoted to be. "Thougs if's full of chsallenges, it would be sucis a sbame for ber not to use ber gifts," Ms Corradetti sald. Ms Gray taid tbe's proud of both ber former students. "They bots seem to be living up to tbe cisallenge. Tiscyre uted to bcing surround- cd by tiseir own families, so tisat's been a tougis aspect. And it's a lot of work. But tscy're definitely wisere tbey want to be'" Stephanie Thiessen can be reached at sthiessen@mihtoncanadianchampion.com. h