A group of young dancers at the Ballet Victoria Conservatory has been accepted into the top ballet school in the country, ready for the national stage.
Charlotte Smith, Romy Kashyap, and Josephine Gryba, all 12 years old, spent their summer in Toronto dancing their hearts out, trying to make one of 13 spots available for the National Ballet School of Canada’s Summer Dance Intensive.
And make it, they did.
All three danced their way to an incredible opportunity with the National Ballet of Canada's year-round Professional Ballet program.
"I found out on the third week that I was selected for the program via an email," Gryba said. "My mom and I cried and we were just so happy.”
The month-long auditions were highly competitive, with students auditioning worldwide.
Other students from the conservatory also landed a spot in other major ballet schools in the country.
Seventeen-year-old Carson Simair has been accepted into the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School's Professional Division for the 2024/25 season with a scholarship.
Carson is currently in New York participating in the renowned John Cranko Summer Intensive. His sister, Eila Simair, 14, received an offer to join the Alberta Ballet School’s Professional Division for the 2024/25 year.
"This is a moment of pride not only for our conservatory but for the entire Victoria region," said Andrea Bayne, artistic director of the Ballet Victoria Conservatory. "Many of these young dancers have trained with the BVC from as young as five years old and feel a deep connection to our Victoria family. Some have chosen to return to Victoria, valuing the high standard of training they receive here."
Currently, there are two BVC students training full time at the National Ballet School of Canada.
