When you think back to being a 12-year-old, what comes to mind? Hanging out with friends, going to school, and riding your bike might be a few things. For one Niverville girl, it means travelling to Poland for an international dance competition.
Brynne Abgrall has been dancing since she was 4 years old, starting her dance career at Elite Dance Academy (now Prairie Soul Dance Company) in Niverville.
Now, at age 12, Abgrall’s a full-time dance student at Shelley Shearer School of Dance in Winnipeg.
“I have been competing locally since I was 4 years old, and internationally since I was 10,” says Abgrall.
These dance competitions have taken her all over North America, including Montreal, Las Vegas (twice), San Francisco, and most recently Calgary.
Abgrall’s favourite style of dance is modern, although she also trains in ballet, jazz, lyrical, tap, and hip-hop. Being involved in all these different types of dance doesn’t leave time for much else other than school.
“I train 15 and a half hours a week for my regular [dance] classes, plus extra rehearsal times for my solos and small groups,” Abgrall says. “Also, when I have rehearsals for Poland, I am dancing approximately another 12 hours on top of my regular classes.”
Spending this much time and dedication in dance, on top of her natural talent, lends to a very promising future in dance. “I would definitely want to continue dance after high school to hopefully dance professionally or choreograph/teach professionally.”
Abgrall’s next competition is in December, taking her all the way to Poland for the World Dance Championship for baller, jazz, and modern dance. She will be representing Team Canada West. 23 other students make up Team Canada West, all travelling along with parent chaperones to the championship.
So how does she feel when she’s dancing? “How I feel is something that I can’t even describe. Being able to create movement to music is something so important to me, and being able to tell a story through dance is the best feeling in the world.”
The team leaves December 5 and will be competing from December 7–12. If you would like to cheer Abgrall on by watching her compete, visit the International Dance Organizations website below. They will be live streaming the entire championships.
