Dance program growing at Miles Mac

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This article was published 02/05/2018 (2713 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Buckeyes are preparing to bust a move on the big stage.

On Thurs., May 24, staff and students from Miles Macdonell Collegiate (757 Roch St.) will be joined by members of the city’s dance community for their annual ‘Dancing with the Staff’ performance.

Now in its second year, the revue acts both as a fundraiser and as a showcase for the school’s dance program.

“The first year when you do a show, you never know how people will react,” said Katherine Ybanez, dance teacher at Miles Macdonell. “But the students and teachers were thrilled with it. Everyone was grinning from ear to ear when  they came offstage last year.”

This year’s event features participation from 28 staff members and nearly 60 dancers from the school, nearly double from last year. The show will feature five teams of students competing against five teams of staff, showcasing hip hop, jazz, modern and tap dance.

“The theme this year is Movies That Make Us Dance,” Ybanez added. “What’s really neat is to see all the students and staff giving their own time to participate.”

A panel of judges — including RWB principal dancer Amanda Green, Miles Mac staffer Filippo Zimarino, and a third judge to be confirmed soon — will be scoring the numbers. Last year, the students took home the top prize, which Ybanez says has stirred the competitive fire in the staff this year.

“We’re all making time during lunch hour to practice,” she said.

Now in its third year, interest in Miles Mac’s dance program has been growing.
“It’s neat to see dance becoming part of the school,” Ybanez said.

Currently, the dance program practises onstage in the school’s theatre.

“One thing that is good about that, they know the space they’ll be performing,” Ybanez said.

However, when construction of the new gym and classroom space at Miles Macdonell is complete in 2019, the program will have its own studio to work out of.

“I love the fact that the program is growing, students are gaining confidence,” Ybanez said. “I’m hoping to continue giving students the opportunity to see that dance is so much more, they can use it to express themselves and make it part of the school. We have a great drama and music program, I’d love to see dance become a full part of that.”

Miles Macdonell’s Dancing with the Staff show takes place at 7 p.m. on Thurs., May 24 in the school’s theatre. Tickets to the event are $7, and all proceeds go back into the dance program.
Proceeds from last year’s show allowed the Miles Mac dancers to take a full day of instruction in ballet at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet, and to bring in a guest jazz teacher to the school.