THUNDER BAY - For 10-year-old Keaira Bobrowich, being out on the dance floor not only allows her to express herself, but it provides her with the confidence to do so.
“You can be yourself and express who you are,” she said.
Bobrowich was one of 25 young dancers participating in the Next Level Dance Workshop at the Finlandia Club on Wednesday. Founded by professional dancers Angelica Migliazza and Emma Dubinsky, the workshop included classes in jazz, hip-hop, and contemporary dance to music from live DJ, Sam Louis.
Open to junior and senior dancers aged six and up, the workshop offered more than just dance routines. It also provided participants with professional headshots, an industry Q&A, and a final showcase.
“We wanted to bring a dance workshop that is not just dancing,” said Migliazza. “We want to help young dancers in Thunder Bay learn about the industry outside of Thunder Bay and bring their experience and abilities to the next step.”
Migliazza, originally from Thunder Bay, now lives and works as a professional dancer in Los Angeles. She, along with Dubinsky, who is also from Thunder Bay and now lives in Toronto, founded the Next Level Dance Workshop to share their experiences in the industry with young dancers in their hometown.
“We feel it’s really necessary for us to share what we learned because we are not just learning it for ourselves, we want to learn and give back to the young students that could benefit from the information,” Migliazza said.
Migliazza studied dance for four years at Loyola Marymount University and said she wasn’t forced to leave Thunder Bay, but in order to take her passion to the next level, she had to look to new horizons.
“I wanted to keep training,” she said. “That was my biggest thing. I wanted to keep getting more information and I knew I couldn’t get that fully here or have all the performance opportunities.”
Through this workshop, Migliazza and Dubinsky want to show young dancers in Thunder Bay the opportunities that exist for pursuing dance as a career. But the skills and confidence the young students are learning go well beyond the dance floor.
“Just knowing that you have to push yourself and there is a lot of opportunity out there waiting,” Migliazza said. “I think movement in general is so powerful. It releases all that energy that we hold in our bodies all the time. It makes a person happy that they can move to music and connect.”
While this is the first year for the Next Level Dance Workshop, Dubinsky and Migliazza have held workshops in their hometown in the past. They are hoping to turn this new workshop into an annual or seasonal offering.
“We just want to inspire young dancers and tell them a little bit about our journey and what inspired us to pursue it as a career,” Dubinsky said. “We want them to leave with more confidence and know that every dancer is unique and to just have a strong stage presence and bring your personality to your dancing and show what sets you apart.”
Bobrowich has been dancing since she was three-years-old and is always eager to learn new skills, and so far, the workshop has not let her down.
“I felt like it would be fun and I would get an opportunity to learn something new,” she said. “I feel like I can do more improv than I could do before.”
Cyndel Hawryluk has been dancing for more than 12 years and she participated with the senior class on Wednesday. She said there are a lot more opportunities for dancers in Thunder Bay to learn new skills because past dancers like Migliazza and Dubinsky return to share what they have learned in the industry.
“Lately there have been more people coming from out of town and coming back, and it’s really good now,” she said. “Angelica and Emma, they are really welcoming and I think a lot of girls will leave here with a lot of confidence.”
Hawryluk said the workshop has allowed her to expand her skills, open up, and express herself.
“I really want to explore different things,” she said. “I want to gain more confidence in my dancing and be more outgoing.”
Because dance is all about expression through movement, and for some, leaving it all out on the dance floor can be a powerful experience.
“It helps me let go,” Hawryluk said. “I can put all my emotion into my dancing.”
