|
 |
 |
|
Upcoming events
|
CANADA DAY AT THE LEGION – Canadian Legion Branch 632 on Taylor Creek Road will be hosting a fun-filled day of family-friendly activities with music and food starting at 11 am. FREE FOR EVERYONE 
ORLEANS FARMERS MARKET every Thursday from 11 am to 4 pm in the parking lot at the Ray Friel Recreation Centre on Tenth Line Road. Shop the freshest seasonal produce, meat and dairy, baked goods, prepared foods, crafts and more while getting to know the folks who grew and made it.
CUMBERLAND FARMERS MARKET from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the R.J. Kennedy Arena in Cumberland Village with 85 local farmers and vendors ready to showcase their freshest produce, handmade goods, and unique finds! FREE ADMISSION 
STRAY DOG BREWING COMPANY presents Crroked Creek live and in concert in their taproom. From Montreal, Crooked Creek effortlessly blends bluegrass and country music genres. Tickets $15 available at 
|
(Updated
8:30 a.m., Dec. 8)
In 2010, the then 20-year-old student at Toronto's George Brown College for Dance, was herself a local participant as a tree fairy in the company's production of Cinderella. "Being a local participant has given me insight into how overwhelming it might be for kids performing in The Nutcracker with us,� she says. "It reminds me of how important it is to explain things clearly and to be approachable if kids have questions.� From Newmarket, Ontario, Heather took her first movement class when she was quite young, began Irish Dancing at seven and was 12 before she took her first ballet class. Her passion grew and she graduated from the George Brown Dance program in 2011. She was accepted as an apprentice with the J�rgen Ballet in 2012 and was promoted to company dancer in 2013. Heather can perform various roles in The Nutcracker, including Grandma, Snowflake and Racoon. Through the company's Nutcracker Youth Education Program, local dancers audition for roles as chipmunks and frogs to perform with the professional dancers in performances at the Shenkman Arts Centre or Centerpointe Theatre. Twenty-seven local dancers, from about 100 who auditioned, have been cast. The sole male and youngest dancer, Viggo Batabyal-Miller, 8, will be one of the 14 local participants in the Shenkman shows and will be dancing as a frog. "Because I was able to bounce super well,� he explains. Viggo, his mother Helen Batabyal and father Douglas Miller, are thrilled with this opportunity for him to dance in a ballet he first saw performed by the Winnipeg Ballet at the National Arts Centre when he was just three. He started taking dance lessons shortly afterwards and now takes classes in six dance styles and is a member of the Orléans Academy of Dance Arts award-winning competitive team. While he also finds time for sports, Viggo finds ballet "peaceful, relaxing and fun,� he says. "It takes all my stress away.� The family's commitment to Viggo's dance is particularly inspiring because two years ago they moved from Orléans to Nepean to be closer to Helen's parents. At 35, Helen was diagnosed with an aggressive form of breast cancer, requiring chemotherapy, radiation and two surgeries over 18 month. Still recovering from her treatments, which ended in November, Helen is unable to drive. Viggo's grandmother Monique and his parents make the 90-minute trek to his dance classes � in rush hour traffic � after school four times a week. There are also trips for competitions, the dance school's Christmas recital and Nutcracker rehearsals. Mom is always there, not willing to miss any part of Viggo's remarkable journey with dance. She attributes much of her positive attitude to continuing to be actively involved with her son's dance and other activities. "And it keeps the normalcy for him too. Like nothing has changed,� she says. Canada's Ballet J�rgen will perform at the Shenkman Arts Centre on Dec.13 at 7 p.m. and Dec. 14 at 1:30 and 7 p.m. Visit www.shenkmanarts.ca for tickets. (This story was made possible thanks to the generous support of our local business partners.) |
Heather
Lumsden-Ruegg performs as the Raccoon in the
Canada Ballet Jorgen production of The
Nutcracker: A Canadian Tradition. Photo
supplied
Commons Corner
|
Queen's Park Corner
|
|---|
| Local
business |
Opinion |
|
|
|
|
