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Powell River dancer draws international attention

Avari Dodd will travel to Portugal and England to compete and study
Avari Dodd
FLYING HIGH: 12-year-old dancer Avari Dodd will be travelling to Portugal this summer to participate in an international dance competition. Next spring she goes to London, England, on a dance scholarship. Contributed photo

Dancing has always been part of Avari Dodd’s life.

“I think I started dancing when I was two,” she said.

The 12-year-old James Thomson Elementary School student’s dedication and talent is being noticed.

Last year she was invited to participate in World Performers Canada as part of a national dance team that will compete at the Dance World Cup finals, an event attracting more than 6,000 dancers from 50 countries. It will be held in Portugal this June. She will compete in tap dance as part of a small ensemble of  four dancers her age. The group began rehearsals last summer.

“There are 150 Canadian dancers from all over Canada participating,” said her mother Jennifer Dodd.

Avari will travel to Portugal with her mother and grandmother, an adventure they are all excited for.

“It’s going to be a big family trip,” said Avari. “We’re going to see if we can go to London as well.”

If they don’t make it to England this summer, she won’t have long to wait. She won a scholarship to participate in the London Spring Tour, an invitation-only dance intensive next March. The program is aimed at advanced dancers who will potentially pursue professional careers in the field.

“We looked at the schedule from last year and it's pretty crazy,” added Avari. “You kind of get to experience the real life of a professional dancer.”

Avari was chosen for the scholarship as a result of being strong in a lot of technical disciplines, said Jennifer. The first 10 years of her dance life were dedicated to tap dancing, however, her horizons have broadened recently.

“This year she has fallen in love with ballet as well,” said Jennifer. “She has been really excited to be receiving recognition for other genres of dance.”

Avari studies with Chantelle Norris at Shoreline Dance Academy. Norris runs a pre-professional dance program in Nanaimo, but commutes to Powell River twice a week to teach ballet and other disciplines. Avari joined her school as a brilliant tap dancer, but was new to ballet, said Norris. Watching her take to the new style of dance has been thrilling, she added.

“I love Avari’s progress,” said Norris. “She’s really shone this year and I’m really excited for her future.”

Avari recently received a scholarship for a ballet intensive this summer from the North Island Festival of Performing Arts. She will be travelling in May for the Performing Arts BC Provincials as the Level 1 Stage Representative.

Although she is contemplating a future career as a choreographer or dance teacher, right now Avari said she is simply enjoying the learning process and all the opportunities she’s having, including making many new friends.

“Since I’ve gone to all these different places I’ve met so many new kids and it’s been so much fun,” she said.

Her main focus is to keep on moving forward.

“I really don’t like when I have to sit still for too long.”