'So impressed': Prestigious ballet school in Edmonton for auditions

Dancers at an audition for Canada's National Ballet in Edmonton on Oct. 18, 2024. (Galen McDougall/CTV News Edmonton)

A prestigious ballet company was in our city this week in search of future stars.

Canada's National Ballet School held auditions at a local dance studio Thursday and Friday for students from Grade 6 and up.

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The school, located in Toronto, was established in 1959. It offers professional ballet training alongside academic learning.

Artistic director Margaret Tracey came on this summer, and she said it's been wonderful to travel to different cities and meet young aspiring dancers.

"They come into a space, they don't know the teacher," she said. "They are asked to really be vulnerable and shed their inhibitions, and I was so impressed with the heart and soul that I saw in just this first audition."

Ada Maclean, a dancer of seven years, auditioned Thursday.

"I like how (ballet) allows me to express myself in ways that I might not be able to otherwise," Maclean said. "It's kind of like freedom for me also."

Dancers who nail their first audition are invited to the school for a week for a second audition, to see if it will be a good fit.

"They need to see if it is an environment they feel comfortable in. And then we need to be able to get to know them better," she said. "A one day audition – your nerves might get the best of you, or you just might not be feeling on top of your game.

"And we do not want that to be the end of the story."

Tracey will be heading to Vancouver next before a last audition session in Toronto. More information can be found on the school's website. 

The Royal Winnipeg Ballet School will be holding an audition at SGSDance in south Edmonton on Oct. 24 for students Grade 5 and up.

For more information, visit the Royal Winnipeg Ballet website.