With 25 years of dance experience under her belt, Irene Widdup is promising great things to come for her students this year.
Director and owner of Footworks Dance Academy, Widdup wrapped up her annual three-day summer dance camp last week. The camp continues to grow every year, she said, and it managed to draw the attention of 75 participants this year, ranging in age from 18 months up to 18 years.
“I’m very pleased with the turnout,” she said. “The dancers learned so much.”
Dancers were split up into different groups throughout each day of the camp. Senior dancers put in a solid five hours of work each day, junior dancers put in four hours of work, while beginners put in three hours of work. Dancers between the ages of three and five danced for two hours each day, while children two years old and younger danced for about an hour and a half. All learned moves in ballet, tap, jazz, lyrical contemporary, hip hop and musical theatre.
Several guest teachers helped provide the lessons throughout the three days including Lauren DeGroot, originally from Neerlandia, who now lives in Edmonton, Dehla Widdup from Barrhead, who is moving to Calgary to attend the University of Calgary’s Fine Arts program, and Alana Friend from Edmonton.
“Loved it” and “awesome” were common responses among the many dancers when asked how they enjoyed the experience this year.
“I made a lot of new friends, the dancing was excellent, and I learned a lot of new styles and steps,” said Brenna Lesko. “It was very challenging.”
“This was one of the greatest times of the summer,” said Maddie Koberstein.
“I had the best time learning new steps with great teachers,” said Josie Michaud.
Footworks Dance Academy is comprised of more than 230 students ranging in age from newborn all they way to adult. Their skill levels are just as varied, Widdup said.
This marks the 17th year Footworks Dance Academy has been teaching Barrhead residents how to dance. There are many new and exciting programs being added to this year’s schedule, Widdup said, and the public is more than welcome to visit the studio and find out more.
Footworks Dance Academy will be part of the Make the Connection night on Sept. 8 at the Barrhead Curling Club. Furthermore, registration for the studio takes place Aug. 31 and Sept. 1 from 5:30-8 p.m. and Sept. 6-7 from 5:30-8 p.m.
Widdup will be taking about 55 of her dancers this year on a field trip to New York to study with various dance masters. The goal, she said, is to expose her students to new techniques, and to immerse them in new culture. The Barr-head dancers will attend Broadway shows, where they will meet with performers following the shows, and they will have the opportunity to dance with the Radio City Rockettes.
“We bring in instructors, but it’s nice to take the dancers to places outside of Barrhead where they can grow as people,” she said. “It has been very rewarding to see graduates go on to bigger and better things.”
Widdup said she has every intention of continuing with Footworks as long as possible. She said it’s hard work, but well worth the effort when she is able to watch her dancers flourish into upstanding citizens.
“It has been an exciting 25 years. Barr-head has been very good to us, and we appreciate that support.”
Widdup and her dancers will also be sponsoring two children in Africa this year. She said she is excited to watch her students write and receive letters from those children. Furthermore, Footworks dancers will create a production piece in honour of this relationship and will perform it at various festivals and the end-of-year show.
For more information about Footworks Dance Academy, call 780-674-4886, or visit www.footworksdanceacademy.ca.
