If you read the December issue of The Citizen, you’d know that Brynne Abgrall of Niverville went to Poland to compete in the World Dance Competition.
Abgrall came back with many medals, including four gold medals and a bronze. She placed first for a solo dance in the category of Junior Female Modern World Champion, dancing with many girls
ranging in ages from 12 to 15.
This was quite a feat, considering she was on the young end of the scale, and many of the girls competing were three years older than her.
“The win was completely unexpected,” Abgrall says. “Coming out on top was something I could have never dreamed of and is the best feeling! To stand on the podium and hear the national anthem play and to represent Canada as the world champion is amazing.”
Winning the gold for her solo was quite a process, as it wasn’t a matter of performing once, then being judged. It was a process of elimination. There were six other dancers, with eliminations taking place one round at a time. Therefore, she had to perform the same dance, at top level, five times until it was down to her and one other dancer.
In total, Abgrall competed in eight dances while in Poland: two were solos and six were small and large group dances. The group dances fell into three different categories: modern, ballet, and jazz. In all of the small groups, Brynne and her team placed first.
“I am so proud of all 24 dancers on Team Canada West and so happy with our amazing results!” Abgrall says. “It could have never happened without the support of my studio, Shelley Shearer School of Dance, and my mentor and choreographer, Lindsay Nelko.”
Having taken only a two-week break at Christmas, Abgrall is busy preparing for her next competition, called Thunderstruck Canada, in the first week of March.
