By Melanie Minty, arts columnist
The Surrey Festival of Dance will fill the stages at the 50-year-old Surrey Arts Centre with dancers of all ages and dances of all description from April 3 to 28. This month-long festival attracts anywhere from 8,000 to 10,000 entries for competition, and is run entirely by volunteers. The executive board and members work year-round to co-ordinate and compile this 52-year old attraction.
Yes, the Surrey Festival of Dance is a local attraction. Dance schools from all over the Fraser Valley and Lower Mainland participate in this annual festival. Although most of the viewing audience is made up of parents of the dancers, the general public is always welcome to watch the parade of dance styles. Admission for viewers is only $2 per session. I can’t tell you what is available each day, but general dates include Ballet (from April 3 to 8), International (April 8), Modern and Contemporary (April 10 to 14), Jazz (April 15 to 21), Hip-Hop and Street (April 21) and, as the final section this year, Tap and Stage (April 22 to 28). Visit surreyfestival.com for all the calendar details.
I said all ages participate. There are certainly preschoolers who are part of groups, but there is also the Adult Night of competition. Here the age range is more varied – from teens in an adult group to over 80. “The Golden Girls” began this competition when they were in their 50s. Now, most of them are in their 80s and 90s. Although this amazing group of women will not be at the Surrey Festival this year (many are away on cruises), they follow the dance wellness motto: “You don’t stop dancing because you grow old; you grow old because you stop dancing.”
The core of volunteers running the dance festival have actually dedicated their “leisure” time to the festival. Many take their personal holiday time, or time off work, to volunteer their time to run the festival. There is a lot to do – backstage security, marshalling the dancers from the downstairs changing rooms, writing the comments from the adjudicators, printing up certificates, taking tickets for admission (top of the stairs before you enter the theatre, not the box office), checking in dancers, making sure all the groups are ready on time, and recording trophy winners.
Ah yes, trophies. These are the tangible tribute to talent and hard work. Take home a trophy. This is a competition, after all. The festival hands out more than 440 trophies annually during the competition. SFD is also proud to award thousands of dollars in scholarships each year as well. James Crosty, among directors on the festival board, says that SFD has handed out about $1.5 million in scholarships over its 52-year history. Now, that is impressive.
“We have an exciting festival this year,” Crosty enthuses. Well, it is always exciting, in my experience. There are tears and drama as well as trophies. There are disappointments as well as triumphs. There is attitude and temper explosions. It happens. Through it all, though, the bottom line is a celebration of dance. Inclusive. Warts, passion and all. And just because it is a competition doesn’t mean you shouldn’t give your best performance. If you practice like you’re in last place, but perform as if you have already won, you will be rewarded – if only by audience applause and the congratulations of your peers.
Because the Surrey Festival of Dance has such a long history — it was established in 1966 by a small but dedicated group of seven parents who wanted to promote dance in the Surrey community — there are many stories to be told, with memories and ties to the local performing arts community.
“I tap-danced on that stage,” said Ashlie Corcoran, the new artistic director of the Vancouver-based Arts Club Theatre Company, during the artscentre’s 50th-anniversary gala event on March 14.This is a big wow job for Corcoran, who grew up in White Rock and tap-danced as a kid. The Arts Club is one of the largest professional theatre companies in Canada. Well done, Ashlie. Keep “tap dancer” as part of your resume.
Deb Williams, of Mom’s The Word fame, is no stranger to the Surrey Stage. Not only as a performer herself, but her son Jeremiah Kennedy participated in the Surrey Festival of Dance as one of “da Boys” from Van Tap. Generations of performers and dancers. All seen on stage in Surrey.
Like many volunteer-run operations, SFD is always looking for more people to help out. Unlike the other dance competitions that blow into our town, SFD returns all proceeds to the dance community. No one is making a profit, or takes home a wage – other than the adjudicators, of course. But, money flows into our city from this festival. We all benefit, including local businesses and other supporters of the arts. Dance is big business. Thank you.
You too, can be involved with this festival. Contact the SFD office at 604-585-3320 or info@surreyfestival.com if you would like to volunteer or donate to scholarships – or even donate a trophy! Even with the staggering number of trophies, there are apparently opportunities for more trophies! Although, if you look at the festival offices when all the trophies are collected back, it truly looks like a vault of gold out of a Harry Potter movie. Magical. Mementos to a job well done.
