Several Surrey and North Delta dancers are headed to Germany in October after being selected for the Canadian National Dance team.
Headed to the International Dance Organization (IDO) World Dance Championships 2012 are Meigan Picard, Danielle and Kaitlyn Fernandes, Lauren Last, Lauren Penney and Salma Tran.
Picard, 12, has been invited to compete in both solo and group ballet, modern and jazz categories at the Frankfurt event that runs from Oct. 4-7. Picard has been dancing since she was three, trains at Surrey’s Flora Pigeau Dance Academy and has attended summer programs at Canada’s National Ballet School and Boston Ballet School.
“I promise to work hard and make Canada proud,” Picard says.
T
wo other dancers from the Flora Pigeau school were chosen to attend the international competition as well.
North Delta sisters Danielle and Kaitlyn Fernandes, 17 and 14 respectively, will compete in ballet, modern and 
jazz categories. Both have been studying various genres of dance for more than nine years.
Also representing Canada is 21-year-old SFU student Lauren Penney, and Lord Tweedsmuir Secondary student Lauren Last, 16. Both have been dancing since age three and train at Dance Xpressions in Surrey.
Surrey’s Salma Tran, who attends Studio One Dance Centre in Aldergrove, is one of the youngest dancers chosen from B.C. for the competition. Tran, 11, will compete in the child solo and group categories and is excited to represent her community and country.
The Canadian team is led by choreographers Danielle Gardner of So You Think You Can Dan
ce Canada and Joshua Beamish, artistic director of MOVE: The Company.
Each of the dancers must come up with approximately $4,500 to attend the event and are seeking sponsorship and/or donations to offset expenses. While the IDO World Dance Championships is not a charity, it is a non-profit event.
Following is a list of contact information if you are interested in supporting any of the dancers:
• Meigan Picard: cycpicard@gmail.com
• Danielle and Kaitlyn Fernandes: malferns@gmail.com; 604-930-1254; or www3.telus.net/fernandes-family/
• Lauren Penney: laurenbpenney@gmail.com
• Lauren Last: 604-603-0880
• Salma Tran: jashin@shaw.ca
For further info check www.ido-dance.com/