Last week, Dance Magic saw class sizes double, enthusiasm triple, and fun explode off the charts. Dancers filled both of our locations with their school friends, neighbours, cousins, and sisters and brothers to share their love of dance during our annual Bring a Friend to Dance Week. Guests got a sneak peak of what it is like to be a Dance Magic dancer for a day as they shimmied, tapped, and chassed their way across the floor, tumbled around obstacles, flew high on our silks and even flipped and split in our acro classes. The energy during Dance Magic’s Bring a Friend to Dance classes is always tangible as the kids vibrate with the excitement of sharing their knowledge and experience with those dearest to them.
While this event is always anticipated and enjoyed by dancers and teachers alike, there are, give or take, another 31 weeks out of the dance year in which dancers go to class as per usual, sans special guests. It is no surprise then that our dancers are busy building their own dance friendships all year long with their classmates. Everyday our teachers and dance parents witness such friendships flourishing. Rather than take my word for it, we thought we would go straight to the source and ask a couple of our dancers what makes dance friends so special. Our first set of dancers are just at the start of what I am sure will inevitably be a lifelong friendship, while the others friend we will chat with have already proved to stand the test of time.
First, meet Khyler and Kennedy.
These two first met in grade one at school, but their friendship really began when they started dancing together three years ago in third grade. As soon as they wound up in the same dance class together, they were “instant besties”, says Khyler. These two girls are those friends who see each other and instantly start giggling without an end in sight. They are silly and inseparable and the bond they share is exactly the reason why dance friends are so special. Anyone who knows them at dance would probably be shocked to know that they don’t always travel in the same circles at school but that as soon as school is out, the two are attached at the hip. Both Kennedy and Khyler’s favourite dance memories together are from recitals in years past. Whether they are consuming massive amounts of goldfish crackers while they practice their choreography together backstage, or making their mark on the famous lipstick wall, as long as they are together, they are happy.
When I asked Khyler what her favorite thing about Kennedy is she responded that, “everything is special about Kennedy. She is awesome! She’s like another sister. We always have fun together and we can just be ourselves. If we want to be sad, we can. If we want to be goofy (which is mostly what we are) we can. We don’t mind each other’s weirdness. That’s the best part! We just love each other”. To the same question, Kennedy responded that, “Khyler is a really good person and a really great friend and we just have so much fun”. If you ask me, that is a pretty amazing friendship and these two seem pretty darn lucky to have found one another at Dance Magic.
Next, meet Katherine and Hope.
These two met when they were 7 years old and just like Kennedy and Khyler, their bond was instant. The only thing getting in the way now, 11 years later, is that the two are working and taking school in different cities. It doesn’t seem to be slowing them down much, however, because as Katherine notes, “Hope still somehow knows and remembers everything before I do. She even texts me to remind me about my appointments because otherwise, she knows I’ll probably forget”. Wow, I could use a friend like that!
Hope and Katherine describe themselves as a package deal. It’s all or nothing with these two. They have followed each other around through their dance careers, trying new disciplines and advancing through to senior level dance classes together and even becoming assistants and finally teachers together. During our conversation, they reflected on how cool it is for them to see friendships blossoming in their pupils now that they are teachers. “It is so amazing”, Katherine exclaimed to me over Skype, cuddled up next to Hope on the couch. “You see these two little girls in class holding hands and not wanting to let go and you realize that these girls are going to be each other maid’s of honor, or will end up raising their families together. Some teachers might try to split kids like that up, but I always try to foster those relationships, because I had one when I was that age and I know how “that friend” changed my life”.
Naturally, after a remark like that, I had to ask how these two did change one another’s lives. Hope explained that without her dance friends, and without Katherine in particular, she wouldn’t be nearly as confident or self-assured as she is today. She said it was because of her amazing relationships at dance that helped her realize it is okay to not always be the best at everything in class and that there is no sense in pushing yourself to be something you are not. “We all had different strengths and different weaknesses and always leaned on each other for whatever we needed. My dance friends taught me that it was okay, and even great, for me to be me”. Katherine’s response, non-surprisingly, wasn’t far off Hope’s. She explained that with dance friends, there is always an instant connection because they immediately have something in common. No matter what, her and her classmates had dance as a common denominator and so there was always something to build a relationship off of. Katherine recalls that this is what helped her “come out of her bubble”. Shy by nature, the friendships that she formed at dance helped push her out of her comfort zone and encouraged her to flourish socially into the outgoing young woman that I know her as today.
Kennedy and Khyler, along with Hope and Katherine are just two examples of the dozens and dozens of friendships that have and will continue to blossom every year at Dance Magic. If you and your friends are looking for something awesome to take part in together in the coming dance year, why not register for our 100 Kids Who Care? This is an awesome opportunity to not only make memories and help your community with your existing friends, but to make new friends. Like Katherine said, you can be sure there will instantly be something to connect with everyone on … so making friends in a group like this, might be easier than you think! To learn more about our 100 Kids Who Care program or any of our other community involvements, classes, and offerings, visit www.reddeerdancemagic.com.
