Many young dancers dream of spending their days in the studio.
Kelsey Miller is living the dream.
For the past four years, the Red Deer-raised Miller has been immersed in dance before and after school as a student in the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School’s professional division.
The 18-year-old is among very few students who made the cut through a two-set audition process.
Of the thousand-plus dancers from around the world who audition for the RWB’s month-long summer intensive, less than 200 are admitted into the July program. And of these, only a handful of the most promising dancers are invited to move into the RWB residence to train as a professional-division dancer while attending high school in Winnipeg.
Kelsey first got the invitation when she was 13 years old. “I felt I wasn’t ready yet, so I waited a year and started when I was 14,” she recalled. She joined a class of about a dozen young dancers and remembers initially feeling some homesickness at being away from her parents and older sister.
But she came to realize that “the hardest part was saying good-bye … once you are away, you’re pretty busy and it keeps your mind off it.”
Looking back, Miller feels time has flown since she started as a Grade 9 student at the school that mixes academic classes at The Collegiate (an extension school of the University of Winnipeg) with dance time at the RWB downtown studios.
“I was so unsure when I came here about whether I could do this, and now I feel really inspired by the company,” said Miller, a graduating Grade 12 student.
Her academics are condensed into afternoon classes, so her mornings and after-school hours can be devoted entirely to dancing — including learning by observing Royal Winnipeg Ballet dancers rehearse their professional productions.
Miller has loved flexing her creative muscles in a variety of roles at the RWB ballet studio in downtown Winnipeg. A particular highlight was taking on a part that was specially created for her.
“They paired me with the tallest boy in the school and we were the Strongman and the Bearded Lady,” in the circus scene of the ballet Pinocchio, she recalled. It was a lot of fun and a privilege to dance the tailor-made role, she added.
Although she finds it a challenge to switch gears for her 1-4 p.m. math, science and English classes, RWB students are encouraged to try hard at school “because it’s important to have a backup plan,” said Miller.
She knows not everyone will get a chance to dance professionally — whether job opportunities don’t materialize, or they succumb to injury.
Miller, who’s already dealt with a few minor ligament problems, estimates a quarter of the students she started with are no longer in the program — either by their own choice or the RWB’s. “You have to be accepted each year, and it definitely gets more difficult.”
Some of the drop-outs realized dancing professionally was not for them. But Miller wants to continue working towards a ballet and contemporary dance career.
This summer she will continue her training in the Atlanta Ballet’s intensive program. Miller aimed for, and successfully auditioned for, the U.S. company because, at a “tiny” five-feet tall, she needs to target dance troupes that embrace dancers of all sizes and body types. “Certain companies have height requirements, but Atlanta takes a wide range of dancers.”
She hopes to either get into the Atlanta ballet’s apprenticeship program, or the RWB’s Aspirant program this fall. Both are geared to help students bridge the gap between school and a job in a professional company.
Suzanne Andre, principal of the RWB’s professional program, said no one can predict how many openings will come up in the company, or what kind of dancers will be needed to fill these spots. But Andre considers Miller a very promising young dancer.
“What makes her stand out is her exceptional work ethic. She has amazing consistency for a young person,” said Andre, who noticed that in four years, Miller has had virtually no “bad days,” or even days off from dancing. Applying that kind of mental and physical discipline to her performances “allows her to make consistent progress and achievement.”
Miller anticipates getting more time to focus on her repertoire and more performance opportunities if she gets into RWB’s Aspirant, or the Atlanta Ballet’s dance apprenticeship program. “They encourage you to make videos and get your resume out there,” said the student, who began her training at Dance Magic, Red Deer College, and later through private classes with her first mentor, Cheryl Tweet. “She made me want to dance,” recalled Miller. Tweet also recommended she audition for RWB’s summer intensive program.
Miller feels she’s learned much since arriving in Winnipeg and moving into the RWB residence, which is kitty-corner to the art gallery and downtown Hudson’s Bay store. “I’ve grown up,” and become more self-reliant, she said.
Instead of having Black Swan-like moments with competitive colleagues, Miller said she’s made some great friends at RWB. She also feels “lucky” to have had wonderful coaches and ample studio time, with pianists providing live musical accompaniment.
“Everybody here has been so amazing and so supportive.” Whatever the future brings, Miller feels she has a good foundation from which to forge ahead into the dance world.
lmichelin@www.reddeeradvocate.com