More than a Room. The PACI dance program performs this evening at the EA Rawlinson Centre, starting at 7 pm. (Alicia Wotherspoon/Instagram)

By Susan McNeil

PACI dance

A decade in, PACI dance program is More than a Room

May 25, 2023 | 12:00 PM

It has been 10 years since a first year teacher at the Prince Albert Collegiate Institute decided the school needed a proper dance program and the teacher and students are still tapping the energy.

This year’s program is called More than A Room as a nod to how the group decided create a studio in the school and how that room has become bigger over time.

“It has become a sanctuary for self-expression, a place where dreams take shape and a community where lifelong connections are formed,” said instructor Alicia Wotherspoon.

In 2012-2013, Wotherspoon was a first year teacher trying to do better than dancing in the gym so she and 13 students raised enough money to buy mirrors and converted an un-used classroom into a state of the art studio.

“We all understood that the studio we envisioned would be more than just a physical space for dancing,” she said.

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The 10^th anniversary of the room and what it has become inspired this year’s them of “Our Heart Keeps Beating” and is a reminder that a heartbeat is a constant rhythm that pushes people forward.

This evening the dancers will bring their learning and skills to full display at the EA Rawinson Centre in their yearly show.

After 10 years, the PACI dance crew is celebrating the room that started it. (Alicia Wotherspoon/Instagram)

They will also host the Birch Hills Dance Centre, the King George Dancers and singer/songwriters Ryan Schultz and Rebecca Celeste.

Tickets are still available for the show, either online via the EA Rawlinson website or in person at the box office.

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susan.mcneil@pattisonmedia.com