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ArtsNews FacebookXLinkedinCopy URL Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Mya Parenteau of the Performing Arts Warehouse performed a Hip Hop Solo during the final session of Dance Blast on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre. Dance Blast returned to the EA Rawlinson Centre for the 12th year from March 5 to 8. The annual event, which is put together each year by a volunteer from the Performing Arts Warehouse brought dancers from around the province to Prince Albert. Paula West-Bates Vice President of the Dance Blast committee from Performing Arts Warehouse (PAW) said it was great to have the event around for 12 years. “This is the 12th year. It would have been 13th if COVID hadn’t happened. So I’ve been on the board since the beginning. Because I have daughters that dance obviously and a daughter who’s a dance teacher now,” West-Bates said. West-Bates said that Dance Blast continues to get better each year. “So every year it’s just gotten bigger and better and we attract studios from all over Saskatchewan from Saskatoon all the way to La Ronge, Nipawin, Borden and Lloydminster this year,” West-Bates said. Dancers from Prince Albert were from Ballet ‘n All That Jazz and the PAW. The other dancers came from the Birch Hills Dance Centre, Borden School of Dance, Nipawin School of Dance-Carrot River, Nipawin School of Dance, Tri-Community Dance Club, Studio Encore Dance and Gymnastics in Lloydminster and Dancers Edge in Warman. West-Bates said the Dance Blast remains popular because it is the first competition of the season and also a bit more based on fun. “I think it’s because we’re the first competition of the season. So it’s a fun competition. It is competitive, but we try to emphasize to our adjudicators to have more fun and that we’re not really worried about critiquing everything just for it to be more fun. But we still are competitive and we still have high expectations for our dancers as well,” West-Bates said. She explained that the event is organized by a parent committee from Performing Arts Warehouse. Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Amelia Putz and Lauren Putz of the Tr-Community Dance Centre performed a Modern/Contemporary Duo during the final session of Dance Blast on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre. Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Ella Mayotte and Christina McDougald of the Tr-Community Dance Centre performed a Modern/Contemporary Duo during the final session of Dance Blast on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre. Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Ezmay Lloyd of the Nipawin School of Dance-Carrot River performed a Hip Hop Solo during the final session of Dance Blast on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre. Michael Oleksyn/Daily Herald Jaycee Mitchell and Ashlynn Murphy of the Birch Hills Dance Centre performed a Modern/Contemporary Duo during the final session of Dance Blast on Sunday at the EA Rawlinson Centre. “We’re a non-profit parent committee that is from the Perform Arts Warehouse. We’re from the Performing Arts Warehouse and I also work at the warehouse too,” West-Bates said. She said that the event cannot grow but is capped at 10 dance clubs from the province. “It is capped because as parents we have to take time off work to work the Thursday, Friday, you have to take time off work. So it is, I think we’re probably capped at the most. So the only way that new studios come in is if studios drop out,” West-Bates said. The event is made possible because of sponsorships from the community. “We have over $10,000 in sponsorships. I think it’s closer to $15,000 this year that we give out as awards. So I think we have one of the highest of awards. So all of our money basically goes back to our dancers mostly,” West-Bates said. “We gave nothing for ourselves, we don’t get paid, everything is volunteered, donated, and so we’re very happy,” she explained. West-Bates said that Saturday’s event was very popular with a warm day and a full parking lot at the Rawlinson Centre. “It was very full, and of course it was very nice out, so lots of people are coming out,” West-Bates said. The adjudicators were sisters Teigan Furber and Makenna Furber who alternated the dancers they adjudicated throughout the four days. -Advertisement-