Fifteen-year-old Madelyn Hall, who trains at Dance Trance on Enterprise Way, will represent the studio at provincial competition in Burnaby this May. She will be prepared to perform her jazz solo (shown) and her tap solo during the contest.
John GORDON/Langley Times
March 14, 2008
The persistent clattering thud made by seven pairs of tap shoes, drifting in from the studio next door, sounds more like it’s being made by 30 sets of feet.
The noise nearly drowns out the voice of 15-year-old Madelyn Hall as she sits down to talk on a drizzly Monday afternoon inside the tight quarters of a small change room at Langley’s Dance Trance dance studio.
Space is at a premium here, with dozens of rosy-cheeked girls dashing around corners, in and out of doors, up and down stairs.
Periodically a nose peeks around the door into the room, perhaps someone looking for a missing pair of shoes or a place to get into her dance clothes.
In this busy place, 13 teachers provide lessons to 300 students in a variety of styles, including jazz, tap, hip hop, lyrical, modern, highland and even musical theatre.
Some of their students come in for just an hour each week. Others, like Madelyn, practise 12 hours in that time span.
For Madelyn, who is on her way to provincials in May, studio time is crucial.
The teenager took first place in all four of her solo dances in district locals, held recently in Chilliwack, giving her a berth in the B.C.-wide contest, which involves top competitors from festivals held from Prince George to Vancouver Island.
In Burnaby, she will perform her jazz and tap solos.
At competition, dancers lead off with their strongest format in an effort to make it to the second round, where the top three competitors vie for first place with their second dance.
Madelyn will perform in the 13-15-year-old category, but this isn’t her first shot at a provincial title.
“I went to provincials at 12. It was a good experience,” said Madelyn.
In addition to her classes at Dance Trance, Madelyn attends Langley Fine Arts School, where she is in Grade 10 and majors in dance.
It’s a talent she has been honing since age four.
Dancing has not only kept her active and fit, but it has led to other important skills, including focus and time management, she said.
“It’s taught me a lot in life. I get pretty good grades in school.”
And the time she dedicates to her art hasn’t made it impossible to have a social life, she added.
“Most of my friends are in dance, so that makes it easier.”
“Dancing is your life,” said Dance Trance owner/instructor Suzanne Zelmer to Madelyn.
“Yes,” the teen agreed.
“I hope I can take it somewhere,” Madelyn said, adding that one day teaching dance is a possibility.
“You need to have personal passion and drive – to be a goal seeker – in order to succeed,” the teacher said.
Would Zelmer categorize Madelyn as a start pupil?
“Yes, definitely. She’s hard working. You know she’ll follow through.”
That’s something the young dancer has proven to her instructor, time and again.
“At Chilliwack, Madelyn was up against a lot of tough studios. The Lower Mainland has some of the best studios in Canada,” said Zelmer.
“It’s a big deal for her to get chosen as the one person to represent the Chilliwack dance festival.
“It’s very exciting to see your students succeed – to see our success come through.”
Since January, Dance Trance has been located in its new studio on Enterprise Way in Langley.
For more information, visit www.dancetrancebc.com.