P.E.I. gets rhythm, joins in Sharing Dance Day

Notre Dame Park in Summerside will have a bit more rhythm on Friday afternoon as P.E.I. takes part in its first Sharing Dance Day.

Sharing Dance Day was launched by Canada's National Ballet School in 2010 as a way to promote dance, but this is the first year P.E.I. has participated.

Kayla Shaw, the education co-ordinator at the Confederation Centre for the Arts in Charlottetown, recruited the Summerside Boys and Girls Club to find her some dancers.

"We were trying to find a partnership with a group that had a fair amount of students that wouldn't necessarily always have the opportunity to take dance," said Shaw.

"We thought Summerside doesn't always get the amount of attention that Charlottetown does so it would be great to be able to offer the program out there."

Summerside only Maritime location

This year's dance will be performed in eight cities across Canada. It is in the Afro-Caribbean style, choreographed by Kevin A Ormsby. Summerside is the only Maritime city participating.

Rehearsals have been going on since early April. All eight cities will perform the dance Friday.

Shaw said there were ups and downs in the rehearsals, but the more than 60 dancers caught on pretty fast, thanks in part to the style chosen this year.

"There isn't as much technique involved as jazz or ballet, I think it was easier for them to catch on to this style of dance, so it seems to have gone over very well," said Shaw.

'Having an absolute blast'

That sentiment was echoed by Summerside Boys and Girls Club program director Chris Ellis.

They always have fun doing those types of things.- Chris Ellis, Summerside Boys and Girls Club

"The first couple of sessions there was a lot of people who were uncertain whether or not they would be able to learn the routine and unsure if they would like it or want to participate," said Ellis.

"As we've progressed through the weeks they've all been able to learn the routine. You can tell they're all having an absolute blast with it."

Ellis said the club was thrilled to partner with the Confederation Centre, as it fits with their philosophy of exposing the kids to new things as much as possible to get them out of their comfort zone.

"What we find is when you challenge them to do things that there not used to doing or they might not be comfortable doing, they tend to kind of excel, and they always have fun doing those types of things," he said.

Different ways to be active and communicate

Shaw comes from a dance background and knows what the art form can do for kids, and said she saw it in action with this project.

"Especially for boys I noticed. They really open up when they participate in this program," she said.

"It's great to see them realize there are different ways to be active and to participate and communicate with each other. I've seen friendships made that I don't think they would have necessarily made prior to the program."

The performance will take place at Notre Dame Park in Summerside at 4 p.m. on Friday. In the case of bad weather it will be moved inside the Boys and Girls Club building.

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