Shawna Chambers from Cambridge knows what it takes as three of her students head to Portugal for the Dance World Cup finals this summer.
Charlotte Deml, and Callie Knechtel, both 12 from Cambridge, and 13-year-old Braelynn Bergman, from Ayr, are about to begin their summer break with a trip to Braga, Portugal as part of the Team Canada World Cup Squad.
The competition will be held from June 30 to July 8.
As Dynamic Dance Force owner and artistic director, Chambers says she is proud to see her three of students make it this far, as they get ready to compete with World Performers Canada.
“It’s absolutely amazing. It truly fills my heart. When I was 14, I competed for Team Canada myself, for the show dance team. I won the bronze medal,” Chambers said.
“It’s really cool to see. This is my first group of students that have gone on to Team Canada.”
All three dancers made the team for their outstanding performances throughout the year.
“I’m so excited to see them make the team. They have worked really hard,” Chambers said.
The trio made it to the national team at the annual Dazzle Dance Competition, held earlier this year.
“They completed in solos that myself, and my staff choreographed. And then the judges selected who they thought will be a good fit,” Chambers said.
“Charlotte was selected for the Contemporary team, Braelynn for Acro, And Callie, in many numbers.”
Chambers says the girls train with her for at least 10 hours a week, not including extra hours in the studio preparing for the competitive team.
“They competed in jazz, tap, ballet, acro lyrical, hip hop and in duets. They also had two solos, and then they performed as a trio. They are in quite a few numbers, so it does get very busy,” Chambers said.
“They started last summer and worked really hard throughout the year. There will be students from many different studios that make up this team.”
The trio will be performing in a variety of dance routines at the competition.
“They are very excited. It will be a very cool experience for them. I think now that it’s closer, they are really looking forward to it,” Chambers said.
“It’s so great to be able to share this experience with them. When they were getting ready to leave, I told them to have fun. I said that I will be cheering them on, I’ll live stream, and I asked them to bring me back some medals. And they said, they’ll try.”
Chambers has been dancing since she was five.
“I grew up dancing at Sue Bottrill Dance Studio. And then when I was 25, I bought her studio and renamed it to keep the tradition. It was where I grew up dancing. And today, it's really become a big family here,” she said.
“I have a student of mine that grew up with me. She was just selected to be in her first professional show. These three girls on Team Canada look up to her and now think, hey, we can do this too!"
When it comes to dance, Chambers says she hopes to continue to support her students with all avenues they want to take.
“These three really want to pursue dance,” Chambers said.
“They talk about being in music videos, singing dancing, and acting. Callie and Charlotte want to continue to work together and they want me to visit them when they move to New York.”
Chambers says it’s been an honour to teach all three competitors and to watch them grow.
“They absolutely live, breathe, eat, and sleep dance,” she said.
“I’m so excited to see where this takes them.”
