Dancing on the World Stage
- Admin
- Sep 15
- 4 min read
Peace Region Dance Society | Peace River, AB
Three talented dancers from a studio in Peace River travelled to Burgos, Spain to represent Canada on the world’s stage as they competed at the Dance World Cup Finals, held July 3-12.
“The Dance World Cup is the largest dance competition in the world for children and young adults. There are over 120,000 competitors from 73 countries who try out to qualify for this event,” said Peace Region Dance Society’s (PRDS) Director and Senior Instructor Nikki Little.
For 20 years and running, PRDS provides quality instruction to local dancers and encourages creative expression through the art and sport of dance. Today, they have over 120 dancers—ages one-and-a-half years and up.
Over the years, PRDS has grown in status and local talent.
“My Mom, Helen McMillan, started the studio over 20 years ago,” said Nikki. “Dance has been deeply integrated into my life since I was little. It’s been an incredible force throughout my life.”
Born and raised in Peace River, Nikki, 34, has been teaching dance for over 15 years. She enjoyed growing up in a small town with a tight-knit community, but she was compelled to explore more of the dance world.
“After high school I trained at the Harbour Dance Centre in Vancouver. I left home to develop my skills and knowledge so I could bring dance back to our community at a higher level,” said Nikki.
A few years ago, the team at PRDS decided to pursue a more competitive approach to dance and training.
“It has taken time, dedication and a lot of community involvement to help make the club what it is today,” said Nikki.
PRDS celebrated their 20th anniversary this year. Now, they can also celebrate an impressive list of wins at the Dance World Cup (DWC) Finals.
The three competitors from PRDS were Rachel Greidanus, 18, who competed in the DWC for her second time; Kambriea Burns, 14, and Aubrey Lepage, 11, who is Nikki’s daughter.
“All three girls did extremely well in their divisions. Their performances were so amazing to see. The girls all made incredible achievements reaching top 10 in their divisions multiple times,” said Nikki.
The girls earned worldwide recognition, personal growth, experience and lifelong memories as they travelled across Canada and even to the United States to practice and train. They dedicated countless hours to their performances.
“To qualify to compete in the DWC, the girls had to win provincial and regional competitions as well as audition and then ultimately be invited to join the Canadian teams,” said Nikki.
Canada brought home the bronze medal in the group dance category (ages 10-13). This group was made up of 88 Canadian dancers from across the country—including Aubrey and Kambriea.
“The dance was titled Inside Out, like the movie. My daughter was chosen to be a lead. She was Fear. It’s incredible. They placed third in all the world,” said Nikki. “To see the entire audience cheering for Canada was amazing. It was a magical moment to witness such support from all the other countries. It was Canada’s first medal placing in this year’s competition.”
Due to Canada's size, dancers are spread out across the country, so it can be difficult to get the school-aged children in one place to practice for large group dance competitions.
“Most other countries train and travel with their dance studio,” said Nikki.
Many Canadian dancers practice in smaller groups throughout the season and only come together with the group for the competition.
“What sets the Canadian teams apart from other countries is that all the dancers only got together to practice once as the full group. This happened for three days in Toronto just before we left for Spain to compete,” said Nikki.
This amazing accomplishment is a testament to the efforts of the team at PRDS. From humble roots, the studio has sailed to new heights since it began.
“We offer a variety of dance classes and creative movement for the little ones. Once they get a little older, we start doing ballet, jazz, hip hop and acro,” said Nikki. “When they get more experienced, we start to add in lyrical and competitive dance.”
PRDS’s studio also offers musical theater and adult ballet classes. Their competitive program is the one class dancers must audition for.
“We are so appreciative of all our sponsors and volunteers. We have so many parent volunteers. I just want them to know how much they are valued,” said Nikki.
Dance can be an expensive sport, so PRDS became a non-for-profit organization to help offset costs, which makes it more affordable for dancers.
“Macmillan Construction Ltd. and Weaver Welding have gone above and beyond. With their support, we were able to provide everyone free costumes this last season and much more,” said Nikki.
PRDS has built a community of people who focus on positivity and creativity. Offering ways for people to express themselves is important.
“Dance has been integrated so deeply into my life. The mixture of athleticism, artistic expression, discipline and the fearlessness it takes has driven my passion. I am grateful every day because I get to share my passion and knowledge with my students. And, I’m grateful they trust and believe in me to do so,” said Nikki.
PRDS is open to new members. No experience is necessary. They offer different genres for different skill levels and ages.
For more info, go to www.prdancesociety.com
By Laura Hanna | Photography by Dance World Cup
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