Christine Kay
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Aug 26/02) - Charlotte Osler, 21 years old, is looking for a ballet teacher.

She's put up signs throughout the city and even has a classified ad, but no one, so far, has responded.

Osler said she's done this because ballet makes her happy and quitting several years ago is her biggest regret in life.

"I bring my shoes everywhere I go just in case I get the chance to do some dancing," said Osler.

But the chances are slim in Iqaluit because there are no classes or teachers.

"I was hoping someone would come out of the woodwork, but no one's called yet," said Osler.

Osler's parents enrolled her in ballet classes when she was three and she continued to follow them for 11 years. She quit while ballet training and her goal now is to get back on her toes.

In fact, this has always been her dream. Osler said her parents had a book when she was growing up and each year she would write in it. She would list her best friends and her goals. Documented throughout the book is her goal to be a ballerina. Although her goal changed a little bit over the years, the idea is still the same.

"I want to get on point and just exercise. I don't want to be a professional ballerina anymore, but just a dancer," she said.

Osler said it's how dancing makes her feel that makes her want to take it up again. She said dancing is a way for her to deal with her emotions.

Osler has been in Iqaluit since last summer. She is currently working at the Unikkaarvik Visitor's Centre as a supervisor.

"When I'm having a hard time I feel like I should go down South where I can dance," she said.

But having lived in Panniqtuuq as a child, Osler said she really feels at home in the North. The only thing she's missing is someone to teach her -- or someone to expand on her knowledge of dance.

Osler will keep her signs up and her classified ad running for as long as it takes. She's confident that with all the people coming and going in Iqaluit, someone is bound to reply.

For now, she keeps her shoes by her side and tries to find other ways to satisfy this vacancy in her life.