The Prince George Dance Festival celebrates its 36th anniversary at Vanier Hall March 17 to 23.
The festival offers dancers the chance to showcase their many disciplines, including ballet, modern/contemporary, jazz, lyrical, song and dance, tap, variety, hip hop, highland and ethnic.
Dancers perform solos, duos and groups.
Sierra Knight, 17, has been dancing for 12 years out of Enchainement Dance Studio and her focus started with ballet, then she ventured into jazz and other disciplines, joining Performers North at 10. She'll be dancing 18 time during the festival, which seems like a lot but the majority of dancers participate to that degree. Knight will dance five solos and 13 group dances.
"When I joined Performers North I took a whole bunch of other classes like song and dance, lyrical and stuff like that, which I hadn't taken before," said Knight, who teaches dance as well.
A typical week for Knight starts Monday by going into the studio after school at 4:30, assisting teachers with their classes. At 6 p.m. she's taking ballet class for two hours and then at times there is choreography, rehearsals for group dances and her day ends at about 9 p.m.
Tuesday her day of dance begins at 3:30, teaching for an hour, then gets a break where she often does homework. Then she dances in two classes, modern and jazz until after 9 p.m.
"Wednesday is where I get a bit of a break and I get to go home after school," said Knight. "I do my homework and relax as much as I can. Then I go to a ballet class at 7 p.m. until 9."
Thursday at 3:30 she assists during a beginner's jazz class for four and five year olds. Knight
then does homework in her hour-long break. There's a two-hour jazz technique class, which is focussed on strength and technique. Then after that there's choreography and rehearsals for group dances until 9 p.m.
Friday is Knight's day off where she sometimes still has to be in rehearsals but no classes.
"Saturday is my super crazy day," said Knight, who just auditioned for a two-year program at Arts Umbrella in Vancouver. "I start at 9 a.m., teach a ballet class for an hour, attend my dance conditioning class where we do a lot of aerobic and strength training. Then I have my dance company class where the focus is choreography and that ends at 12:30."
Then Knight attends more rehearsals and creates choreography for groups and soloists and on those days she's at the studio until 6 or 7 p.m.
Sunday is filled with rehearsals, choreography and it's usually an eight-hour day.
"I do this because I just love dancing," said Knight. "It's something I love to do -- I love getting up on stage and performing in front of everybody. It's the ultimate way to express myself as a person and my love for dance."
