By Robin Tarnowetzki
Journal Staff Reporter
Humboldt and area dancers congregated at the Bella Vista Inn to attend the DK Dance Visions' annual intensive workshop from Aug. 19-21.
Seventy-one dancers from ages seven to 18 or 19 registered for the workshop, which is in its tenth year.
"Because they're in their own studios mostly for the rest of the year, they get to try out somebody else's choreography," said Dayna Keller, owner of DK Dance Visions. "Some of them don't take everything in their studio. Maybe they don't take hip-hop in their studio, but they're welcome to try it here. So they have a chance to see different things that they might like to add on to their training."
The students worked with two instructors (one from Prince Albert and the other from Saskatoon) in musical theatre, jazz, tap, ballet, lyrical, contemporary and hip-hop. The students could take five classes a day and were encouraged to try a bit of everything.
"This is a good place to try out whether they want to take those classes in the fall," Keller added.
Students came from Melfort, Humboldt, Bruno, Wynyard, Wadena and Quill Lake. They were divided into three groups: juniors were seven to nine, intermediates were 10 to 13, and seniors were 14 and up.
Keller began the workshop ten years ago because she wanted kids in the area to have the experience of learning new dance styles and not have to travel very far to do it.
The workshop culminated in a performance for the public. The different age groups took turns performing various short dances for friends and family. From dancing, lip-syncing, and acting to songs from West Side Story and A Chorus Line, to tap to contemporary to hip-hop, the dancers showed that they clearly worked hard the previous three days.
The intensive workshop is still going strong and Keller plans to continue with it annually.
"If they want to come, we'll be here," she said.
