Dancers visiting 'The Happiest Place On Earth'

INNISFAIL – A group of Innisfail dancers is heading to Disneyland in February.

A total of 31 dancers from Joy's School of Dance are visiting California from Feb. 15 to 24, where they will participate in workshops, competitions and auditions.

“There's so much out there that they can do. It's just a way to open up some doors for them so they can see what is out there,” said Joy McIlwain, owner of Joy's School of Dance.

This will be the school's sixth time going to Disneyland, also known the world over as "The Happiest Place On Earth." The first was back in 2003. They've been every three years since.

Of the 31 dancers, two of them are boys, and all are between the ages of 12 and 18, she noted.

“It'll be a little bit of everything,” said McIlwain. “We just want the kids to go and see that they have a big world out there. There's lots of opportunities for them.

“One of the workshops they do is actually an audition workshop so it teaches them how to prepare for an audition,” she added, noting dancers will perform, participate in workshops, compete, audition and take part in a large American showstoppers competition.

“We enter routines into the competition because we want the dancers to experience that,” she said. “We want them to experience and see that even if they come from a small town like Innisfail, Canada they can still go anywhere.

In addition, there will be two workshops with Disney staff and workshops at the Edge School in Los Angeles, she noted.

First-time participant Brooklyn Mogck, 15, and returning participant Brynn Keffen, 16, are two of the dancers going to Disneyland.

“I'm so excited to see how they do their competitions (in America) and how they run their dance routines,” said Mogck.

“It'll be interesting to see how I've improved over the years and what different things they will teach us in that class,” added Keffen. “It's a great experience to expand your horizons and try different styles of dance.”

Joy's School of Dance has been fundraising for the trip and will hold a Princess Tea at the Innisfail Library/Learning Centre on Dec. 16 at 2 p.m. with another fundraiser planned for early February.