The Estevan Recreational Dance Club’s season has officially come to an end, finishing on a high note with two sold-out performances.
“I’m very proud of all the dancers for performing on that stage and having an absolute blast,” said Brooke Wilson, head instructor and director of the Estevan Recreational Dance Club. “It was so much fun as their instructor to watch them on stage and to just celebrate them and all of their hard work.”
With many dancers performing in multiple routines and plenty of work going on behind the scenes, Wilson said the production was a team effort.
“We had many volunteers — parents who had dancers in the show — who spent their time helping us put everything together and lining up all of these kids.”
From selling tickets, flowers and water to assisting with decorating and costume changes, she said the support from the community made all the difference.
“We really couldn’t have done our shows without the help of all of our people who stepped up, and I’m very thankful for them.”
Tickets for both shows sold out well in advance.
“They did very well,” Wilson said. “We had quite a few new dancers this year, as well as many who were returning from previous seasons, so we were all helping each other learn.”
By the evening performance, she said the group had hit its stride.
“By the 7 p.m. performance, it was a well-oiled machine. Everyone knew where they needed to be, and it just went so smoothly.”
There was also a wave of emotion surrounding the final show.
“There was a lot of emotion around the 7 o’clock show, knowing that it was our final time performing those routines,” Wilson said. “And for a lot of the older students, knowing it was the last time performing with our four Grade 12s — there were a lot of emotions. Everyone was cheering them on and being so proud of each other, and there were a lot of tears as well. Just a very, very big day.”
Wilson said the club prides itself on being supportive and inclusive.
“A lot of our older students are really good at talking to the younger ones, saying things like, ‘You’re going to do great, you’re going to have so much fun,’ helping them take deep breaths and reminding them they were going to be amazing — and they really were,” she said. “We have a lot of incredible role models at our studio, so I’d say the pressure was handled quite well.”
The ERDC has grown significantly since its early days.
“Our very first year, we had 40 students. We only taught one day a week. We had 10 routines in our show and just a really small finale with a couple of our older kids and a bow at the end,” she said. “We performed at Pleasantdale School on their stage for a small audience.
“To see where it is today — two full sold-out shows at EPS, with 300 students, 47 routines and a grand finale featuring 130 of those kids — I never would have imagined when I started this that it would grow into what it is today.”
She credited the community for making that growth possible.
“We have an amazing community of dancers and parents who really work together to make sure that every dancer is ready to be the best on that stage.”
Wilson said she couldn’t be prouder of the group.
“I’m so proud of each and every one of them. No matter how young or how old, no matter if it was their first performance or not, I’m so proud of everybody’s growth, their hard work in and out of the studio, their willingness to try hard things — and if they don’t succeed the first time, we try again until we get it,” she said. “Getting to see all of their hard work come together in the final show was just an incredible feeling.”
She also expressed gratitude to parents and caregivers for their commitment.
“Thank you for your time, for bringing your kids to the studio every week — multiple times a week for some of them. Without your support, we wouldn’t have had this amazing weekend.”
Wilson also gave a shout-out to the instructors and assistants who help keep the studio running.
“Without all of their help, we wouldn’t have been able to run our classes,” she said. “I know a lot of those kids really look up to their assistants and have a lot of love for them. I hope they felt that at the end of the 7 p.m. show — just how much they are loved and appreciated by everybody.”
