Town & Country

WINNIPEG FrEE PrESS, SATurDAY JulY 26, 2014 7 e v o L u t i o n d a n c e c o M p a n y The Evolution Dance Company keeps on growing. More students will be able to attend the popular dance studio when it moves to a new location that will triple its size at Selkirk Town Plaza this fall. "W e've had waiting lists for years now. It's always been our goal to move to a bigger location," says Andrea Myers, who co-owns Evolution Dance with her friend Sonja Brown. The new 6,200-square-foot studio will open in time for the start of fall dance classes in September. "We're excited for what the future holds," Myers says. "We were able to add additional classrooms for the programs we already do, and we're adding some awesome 10-week fitness classes for adults." More than 450 students from Gimli, Winnipeg, Winnipeg Beach, Beausejour and beyond already attend Evolution classes each year. Before Myers and Brown started the company nine years ago, they both taught dance classes in school gyms and community clubs. Between them, they have almost 30 years of experience. "We'd been teaching in the community for years, and we saw the need for a dance studio that had different classrooms in the same building," Myers says. "We have a proper spun floor that lessens a dancer's risk of injury. It's easier on all the joints." The dance company is a rural powerhouse, offering 97 classes each week for students at all levels and all ages, from two to 92. "It's easy to think that because we're in a rural area, we're smaller than what you'd find in a city. But we can offer the same level of dance education as any other studio," Myers says. "We're very proud to say that our studio's in Selkirk." More than 2,200 people attended the studio's annual recital at the Centennial Concert Hall last year, and the competitive dance team has travelled to Germany and Poland to compete at a world level. "Our kids compete all over North America and in Europe," Myers says. "Our ballet classes are taught by an instructor from the royal Winnipeg Ballet's teacher training program." One of the newer classes is Acro, suitable for ages seven and up. Similar to gymnastics, Acro promotes flexibility, balance, strength, discipline and concentration. Basic acrobatic techniques are taught in a safe environment. Dancers may learn handstands, cartwheels, back bends, walkovers and aerials. Children's classes are extremely popular. Kids can start learning to dance at age two through the Two's & You program, which features creative movement, song and stories. "Our adult classes are also very popular. We offer them later in the evening so parents have the chance to put their kids to bed and then do something for themselves," Myers says. When potential students visit the studio for the first time, Myers, Brown, or another instructor will sit down and chat with them to figure out what type of class will be the best fit. "We want everyone to have fun and feel comfortable. We have students of all shapes, sizes and levels," Myers says. "The teachers make sure that each student is comfortable." She feels that dance is a great activity for all ages and there's a class that's just right for everyone. "Dance is wonderful, not only for the physical fitness aspect, but for the confidence, poise and teamwork the students develop. It's great for your confidence to dance on stage in front of an audience, and students who dance together for a while really develop a positive team environment," Myers says. "I love seeing how it builds children's self-confidence and sense of accomplishment after training all year." ❙ Photos courtesy of Evolution Dance Company Between them, Evolution Dance Company owners Andrea Myers (left) and Sonja Brown have almost 30 years of experience teaching dance. Moving to a larger studio in Selkirk Town Plaza will allow them to offer more classes to students of all ages, at all levels of proficiency. Big step for Dance coMpanY Selkirk studio is growing in a new location By Holli Moncrieff for the Free Press FAMESummerFestival–August3 YourOneDayStoporVacationSpot ExperiencetheBeauty International PeaceGarden 60MinutesdirectlySouthofBrandon 1-888-432-6733 www.peacegarden.com zumbajan@mts.net @zumba_jan yo u r e x c u s e to le tl oo s e ! classesin •GIMLI •WINNIPEG BEACH •SELKIRK INTERLAKEAUTO &TRACTOR PARTSLTD. Largeinventoryof brakes,shocks,struts, drums&rotors Qualityparts,reasonable prices,fastservice! 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SelkirkTownPlaza 200-366MainStreetSELKIRK ���.E��������D����.�� Jazz Ballet Tap HipHop Lyrical Twos&You CreativeMovement AdultDance AdultFitness CentreSt.Gimli 204-642-8588 PHONE:1-204-642-5137 TOLLFREE:1-888-424-4654 315ManitobaAve. Selkirk 3416RoblinBlvd. Winnipeg

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