While the 16-year-old Sudbury resident has danced since she was three, the auditions were intimidating and few dancers are ever chosen from Northern Ontario.

“The audition, I treated it like a dance camp … It was extremely intense. I was pouring buckets of sweat. You were constantly moving. You had to learn choreography very quickly,” she said.

So when she found out she would represent Canada in modern dance at the Official World Dance Championships in Poland, she was surprised.

“But I was thrilled,” she said. Babcock-Rimore was one of four dancers from Sudbury chosen to represent Canada at the competition, which starts Dec. 5 and is hosted by Germany and Poland. Other dancers include Taryn Leach, 17, who made the team but won’t participate due to school work, Michelle Valliant and Aglaia Florentis, 15, who made the jazz, ballet and modern dance team, but will only perform in the third category.

For Florentis, getting into the competition was a shock.

“The audition was really nerve wracking. I was all alone. I was really nervous,” she said. “When I found out I got in, I was really excited. I didn’t think I’d get in. I think if I do this now, then things can only get better.”

To Babcock-Rimore, dancing is more than just an art. It’s a release.

“I started dancing when I was 3. I love it. It was something I was interested in from a young age,” she said. “I love expressing myself in different ways. If you have a rough day, you lose yourself in the movements,” she said.

The dancers, all from Ida Sauve Dance Evolution Studio, will be one of around 45 to 50 people representing Canada in the weeklong competition.

Ali Loney, the owner of Ida Sauve studio, sees this as a chance to put Northern Ontario dancers on the international map.

“It’s a really great achievement not only for our students, but also for Northern Ontario. They’re the first Northern Ontario dancers to go,” she said. “Being from Northern Ontario, we don’t get as many options.”

Right now, the girls train seven days a week, five in Sudbury and two with Team Canada in London or Mississauga. As part of the competition, the dancers will meet professionals like Blake McGrath, who danced in America’s So You Think You Can Dance and will work as a choreographer for the team.

During a press conference held at the dance studio Wednesday, outgoing Mayor John Rodriguez offered his support to the dancers.

“One of the (reasons) that I was so proud to be the mayor of this city is the talent in this city,” he said. “You are going to do so well that you’ll put Sudbury on the international dance map. I have every confidence you’ll pull it off.”

By Rita Poliakov, The Sudbury Star

When Team Canada takes the stage at the World Dance Championships in Poland this December, three local dancers will a part of the competition — the first Sudbury dancers to do so.

Ida Sauve Dance Evolution Studio students Lauren Babcock-Rimore, Aglaia Florentis, Michelle Valliant and Taryn Leach were all successful in their auditions to be a part of Team Canada in various disciplines, including ballet, jazz, modern, and tap.

While Babcock-Rimore, Florentis and Valliant will embark on their journey to the international competition from Dec. 10-12, Leach has elected to stay at home to focus on her schooling.

“Considering this is my last year of high school, I’m more focusing on my school so I can pursue my dance life the following year,” the St. Benedict Catholic Secondary School student explained.

“It was a great experience just to audition, and knowing that I made the team is great. Next year, I will try out again.”

The competition will include more than 6,500 dancers from close to 40 countries. Canada has been competing at the World Championships since the 1997 and has brought home several medals, including a gold medal eight years running for junior tap formations.

Babcock-Rimore said she is both nervous and excited about the competition. “I’m a little nervous to see what the other countries have to offer, but I think Canada stands a good chance. I’m very excited to see all the different styles.”

The Grade 12 Confederation Secondary School student has been dancing for the past 13 years. However, she said the world championship wasn’t something she necessarily had her sights set on.

“My first audition, it was more just learning from it, more like a dance camp. But after that… I started at working at trying to make the team.”
She said it is rewarding to be able to compete at such a “prestigious” event.

“Dancing for me is something I’ve loved since I started it,” she said. “A couple of years ago when I was sick and I wasn’t able to dance for a couple months, I really hated it. Now that I’m back, I’m happy for what I’ve accomplished.”

Florentis, who attends Lo-Ellen Park Secondary School, said it’s exciting that she’ll get to experience the World Dance Championships with some of her closest friends.

“We’ve been dancing together since forever and we always help each other out,” she said. “I’m really excited about going to Poland and I think it’s a really great experience for all three of us. We’ve never been to anything so big and I think it’s exciting that we get to experience that together.”

Although she’s been dancing for almost 13 years, she said she was surprised to make the national team. “When I first auditioned, I only took it as an experience and I didn’t expect to make it.”

In fact, she made the ballet, modern and jazz teams, but has chosen to compete only in jazz and modern.

Valliant was selected to compete with Team Canada as part of the tap crew. However, because of a college mid-term, she was unable to attend the press conference held last week where the dancers were introduced to the media.

Ali Loney, the owner and director of the Ida Sauve Dance Evolution Studio, commended her students for the courage they showed just in auditioning for Team Canada.

“I knew they had it in them,” she said. “I wouldn’t have sent them to the audition if I knew they couldn’t come out with something from it… It was such a good experience and they were so brave to go there.”

She said she’s anxious to see how her students fair.“It’s going to be great for them. Maybe they’ll be able to come back and teach me something.”

Two of the five Northern Ontario dancers selected for the National Ballet School’s summer program come from Sudbury.

Both Jadon Pascal Van Alphen, 10, and Emma Oderkirk, 12, are part of Ida Sauve Dance Evolution’s elite core of competitive soloists.

The two auditioned for the honour to study with ballet masters over the summer on Nov. 1.

“About 30 auditioned that day. Not just from Sudbury but from all of Northern Ontario,” said Ali Loney, director of the dance studio.

The summer dance school is for kids going into Grade 6 and older. Students who do well in the summer program are then asked if they would like to attend the private school in Toronto during the academic year.

“They use it as a screening process,” explained Jadon’s mother Candice Van Alphen, who also took ballet as a child. “After that it’s a big decision, whether to go there full time.”

Not counting rehearsals both kids spend between seven to 10 hours a week in dance lessons.

“I started when I was four years old,” said Oderkirk, who hopes to dance professionally as an adult.

“I started four years ago,” said Jadon.

However, he only began ballet lessons last year.

“I think I prefer tap,” he added.

“Emma loves tap, too,” said Tracey Oderkirk, her mother.

However, ballet provides a base needed to master other forms of dance, explained Loney.

“It’s the core of everything. Our competitive students take at least two ballet classes,” she said.

“It was a hard sell initially,” said Candice. “But you can’t compete without the ballet … While the others have discipline too, there’s a very strong fun element (in them). But ballet really brings a lot of discipline.”

Besides dancing, both kids also take piano lessons and in the winter Jadon plays recreational hockey as well.

“I do other things like piano, but dance is the main thing I do,” said Jadon. “I would like to go to the National Ballet School.”

“It would be a very big decision because he’s young but he loves it,” Candice said.

Emma would also like to study at the National school in Toronto. However, leaving family would be hard for both.

“Everyone is very proud of these two,” said Loney.

The YPA Awards were estab- lished to celebrate, encourage and recognize Greater Sud- bury’s emerging leaders.

“The YPA Awards Gala is a great evening to meet other successful contacts and organi- zations to build and establish both new business and per- sonal relations, all while show- casing our winners’ excellence,” Dean Lupini, chair of the asso- ciation, said.

This year’s Best Place to Work for Young Professionals Award was given to Collins Barrow, which has proven to be successful at attracting and retaining young workers.

Raymond Doyon, student advisor at Cambrian College, was awarded the Male Young Professional of the Year Award. He participates in the develop- ment, organization and deliv- ery of on-and off-campus events such as career fairs, informational sessions, open houses and more.

When he’s not working he dedicates his time to the com- munity through his services as a volunteer fire fighter, coach and also helping to implement and build the Markstay base- ball field and tennis courts.

Ali Loney, owner and direc- tor of Dance Evolution, was awarded the Female Young Professional of the Year Award.

Even with her loaded sched- ule as a dance teacher and entrepreneur, she still finds time to give back to the com- munity.

In the celebration of excel- lence in Sudbury, the YPA will continue to showcase local emerging leaders and allow them the opportunity for growth and networking, Josée Ethier, YPA staff co-ordinator, said.

“The Young Professionals Association is comprised of exceptional young men and women, who not only excel in their fields, but also in their volunteer commitments,” Ethier said.