Photo from the Dance Blast in 2020. (Submitted photo/Derrick Smith)

By Ian Gustafson

Return to the stage

Dance Blast returns to P.A.for first time in two years

Mar 11, 2022 | 4:00 PM

For the first time since before the pandemic, the annual Dance Blast has returned to the EA Rawlinson Centre in Prince Albert.

The four-day long event, which began Thursday, features roughly 420 dancers ages five to 18 from 12 studios all over Saskatchewan.

Amy Wilcox Gelhorn, president of the host P.A. Performing Arts Warehouse dance team, said Dance Blast was the last dance festival before the province shutdown in March 2020.

“The last time we saw everyone the world was normal and now two years later the world still isn’t normal but we’re trying to find our new normal and so it’s great to be finding that with your dance community,” she said.

She said during the performances people can expect different disciplines of dance.

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“Still to come are lyrical and hip hop, solos, duos, and trios. We have large groups and small groups for ballet, jazz and many different disciplines,” Wilcox Gelhorn said.

The performances are divided into sessions with one happening tonight at 6 p.m. They will begin again Saturday morning at 9 a.m. with shows to follow at 1:30 p.m. and 6 p.m. and on Sunday at 9 a.m. and 1:30 p.m.

In each discipline there will be award winners as well as an adjudicator choice awards. She added they will be giving out a total of approximately 160 awards, which will include cash prizes.

So far, she said all the performers have been fantastic.

“Dancers love to perform, and they all have just stepped on the stage and just shone. It’s been remarkable… You wouldn’t tell they’ve taken two years off from being on stage,” she explained.

Tickets are available for each session at the door. There are also day passes and weekend passes as well as a livestream option. Tickets for livestream can be purchased on the EA Rawlinson Centre website. There are no capacity limits, and they have masks for people who feel more comfortable wearing one.

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Ian.Gustafson@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @IanGustafson12