'Dance is strong': Dancers from across Sask. move as one in virtual collaboration
More than a thousand dancers from across the province have joined forces virtually to celebrate dance and the contribution the community has made during the pandemic.
“Everybody knows that dance can be competitive, and we go to competitions, and we compete against each other, but when it comes down to it, when we were all struggling through the pandemic, we really rallied together and came together and really helped each other. Dance is strong today because we all did come together,” Karrie-Ann Puderak, Owner of Pure Energy Dance Company told CTV News.
After two dance seasons being altered by COVID-19, with cancelled competitions, smaller in-person classes and mask-wearing, dance teachers from across Saskatchewan wanted to honour dancers and instructors with the project.
Dance experts from all areas of the province met via Zoom video since the beginning of the pandemic to offer support to each other and decided through those meetings to embark on a collaboration with 120 studios in our province.
One group of students from Pure Energy Dance Company performing their #skdancestogether piece.
One group of students from Pure Energy Dance Company performing their #skdancestogether piece.
Choreographer Dana Mutimer from Estevan created one dance piece which all studios learned and recorded individually. Those were posted to social media pages with the common hashtag #skdancestogether.
Puderak says the goal is to recognize how significant dance has been in the lives of so many throughout the many changes of the pandemic.
“It was really important to also let the public know how important dance is not just for physical fitness, but for kids’ mental health and to have a place to socialize and get away from it all,” she said.
Pure Energy Dance Company student Elyana Benjamin has been dancing for 9 years and says dance has helped her a lot over the past two years.
Students from Brenda’s School of Baton and Dance
“It affected my mental health I would say just because I started more getting lazy. When the pandemic started, school became hard with online learning so that was a big challenge. Dancing helps me express myself so when I’m feeling low or down it helps me,” Benjamin said.
Cadynce Eremondi has been dancing for 8 years and says she’s proud to be part of the project because it shows that dancers are united no matter what’s happening in the world.
“It was nice to see other groups from other cities and learn from them. It showed that we can still communicate through dance even though it’s not in person.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Spectacular aurora light show to be seen across Canada Friday night
A rare and severe solar storm is expected to bring spectacular displays of the northern lights, also known as aurora borealis, across much of Canada and parts of the United States on Friday night.
Town of Fort Nelson, B.C., ordered to evacuate due to wildfire
The entire town of Fort Nelson, B.C., as well as the nearby Fort Nelson First Nation, has been ordered to evacuate due to an out-of-control wildfire.
Snowbirds in Vancouver for puck-drop flyby as Canucks face Oilers
The Canadian Forces Snowbirds will be performing a flyover across downtown Vancouver at the start of tonight's Stanley Cup playoff game between the Canucks and the Edmonton Oilers.
McGill University seeks emergency injunction to dismantle pro-Palestinian encampment
McGill University has filed a request for an injunction to have the pro-Palestinian encampment removed from its campus.
Which Canadian cities have the highest and lowest grocery prices?
Where you live plays a big factor in what you pay at the grocery store. And while it's no secret the same item may have a different price depending on the store, city or province, we wanted to see just how big the differences are, and why.
Swarm of 20,000 bees gather around woman’s car west of Toronto
A swarm of roughly 20,000 bees gathered around a woman’s car in the parking lot of Burlington Centre.
Video shows naked raccoon catching B.C. family by surprise
When Marvin Henschel spotted a strange and hairless creature wandering through a front lawn in B.C.'s Lower Mainland, he could barely believe his eyes.
Barron Trump declines to serve as an RNC delegate
Former U.S. President Donald Trump's youngest son, Barron Trump, has declined to serve as a delegate at this summer’s Republican National Convention, according to a senior Trump campaign adviser and a statement from Melania Trump's office.
Out-of-control wildfire prompts evacuation alert for Fort McMurray, Saprae Creek Estates Friday night
An evacuation alert was issued for two Wood Buffalo communities Friday night, as crews battled an out-of-control wildfire near Fort McMurray.