Barrhead’s Mikaela Widdup is ready to take her first step as a professional dancer.
In September Widdup, the Grade 12 Barrhead Composite High School student, will be attending York University, in Toronto working in all likelihood towards getting her bachelor of fine arts degree specializing in dance.
Widdup says in all likelihood because she has applied for and has been accepted for dance programs in multiple schools and is still weighing her options, but she has sent in her letter of acceptance to York University.
As one might suspect anyone with Mikaela’s background getting her degree is the first step in becoming a professional dancer.
Mikaela is the daughter of Irene Widdup, the owner of Footworks Dance Academy, and as such has been dancing almost her entire life, but it wasn’t until this year until she really considered it as a potential lifelong vocation.
“When I really started to think about what I wanted to do in my life, I realized I wasn’t ready to give up dance,” she said, noting that is when she started looking at potential universities that would allow her to pursue her goals.
In the end, Widdup narrowed down the choices to three schools, Ryerson University, George Brown College and York University.
As with any post-secondary institutions Mikaela’s application needs to have top marks in the usual prerequisite high school courses, however, as someone attempting to get into a dance program she also had to prove that she has what it takes as a performer.
She did that by auditioning for each of the schools in February. For York and Ryerson, it required Widdup to travel to Toronto, while for George Brown it was in Edmonton.
One of the reasons why Widdup chose to apply to Toronto area schools was to be near the hub of Canada’s professional dance scene.
“Like New York, Toronto has a “Broadway District” where theatres regularly audition for dancers, musicians and actors,” Irene said, adding many of the times professional companies will also look to the schools directly.
Irene added the other bonus of going to a school like York, is the ability to pursue a double degree.
“Because as we all know the arts industry, isn’t always a sustainable career, especially as a dancer, because there will be times when you have to give your body a rest,” she said.
To help fund her education Mikaela works with the Town of Barrhead parks and recreation department as a lifeguard.
When asked if she is nervous about leaving Barrhead for Toronto, Mikaela said, if anything she is more excited.
“I’m excited to be able to audition for different companies and have the opportunity to work and learn and experience new areas of dance, that are different from the studio dancing that I have done my whole life,” she said.
Mikaela also credits her experience with Canada’s Ballet Jörgen with helping calm her nerves. Last summer she attended a two-week camp for gifted dancers hosted by the dance company at George Brown College, where she had a chance to taste what it would like to be a university dance student, from taking classes, to living in campus residence.
Ballet Jörgen is Canada’s fifth largest ballet and has branches in Toronto, Ottawa, Hamilton, Kitchener, and Halifax.
It is also something she has the opportunity to do again this summer. The adjudicators at Mikaela’s George Brown College entrance audition were so taken by her performance they offered her a scholarship to another Ballet Jörgen summer program.
She also has the opportunity to attend a similar program at the Broadway Dance Center in New York after she won a scholarship at the Dance Strong Festival in St. Albert, May 2-5. But due to her busy schedule, plus the proximately of Toronto to New York, she will probably wait until next summer to take advantage or the opportunity.
Between now and September, Mikaela hopes to be able to take some time to relax, reflect and spend some time with her family during a European vacation, before starting her journey to become a professional dancer.
