.

Home page

Text size

E-mail this page

Andrea Edmunds returned to Yellowknife from Edmonton where she auditioned for the CTV reality program "So You Think You Can Dance" earlier this month.

"It was a very exciting experience," she said. "I think that when anybody decides to audition for anything they put themselves out there and that's a very intimidating but very rewarding experience."

Andrea Edmunds lines up to audition for the CTV reality show, So You Think You Can Dance, earlier this month. - photo courtesy of Andrea Edmunds.

When asked exactly how rewarding the audition was, Edmunds refused to say. When asked again, she refused again.

Edmunds is bound by a confidentiality agreement signed with the producers.

However, this much is public knowledge: if she impressed the judges, she will return for a taped audition in June for broadcast across the country in September. If she makes it past that stage, she will audition live on air for the finals in October.

In the meantime, Edmunds is keeping busy with dance and theatre projects at home. She meets regularly with an informal dance group, choreographs musical theatre in the community from time to time and is planning her own performance art projects for the distant future.

She is preparing to lead an intensive five-week summer camp for students aged eight to 18, held from June until August through the Bella Dance Academy. The musical theatre program covers dance, voice, drama, set, costume and choreography.

"I'm ecstatic to have her on board," said Academy owner Lina Ball. "Andrea is so talented in so many different areas and it's rare to have someone who can teach all the different aspects of the musical workshops."

Edmunds is also in the midst of producing a vaudevillian performance with actor and vocalist Ada Timmins for an upcoming risqué cabaret at the Top Knight. "It's going to be on the vaudeville side of burlesque with a few song and dance numbers," Edmunds said.

The show is part of the May 29 launch of issue three of the Do It Up zine. The launch event also involves some playful striptease numbers, "boylesque," performance art, spoken word and music by Giant Con, The Honeybuckets, Los Flacos Locos and Bush League.

"It's going to be a night of cheeky, sexy fun," said co-organizer Krystal Thompson. "We sought Andrea out because we're familiar with her dancing and choreography skills."

Thompson and Edmunds met during the 2008 Crazy Legs Contemporary Dance summer camp. Edmunds is leading some company classes for Crazy Legs this month.

"Andrea has got great technique and she's a beautiful dancer, very intuitive, and she likes to have fun," said Crazy Legs co-founder Karen Wasicuna. "I think she should be really proud of herself for auditioning for So You Think You Can Dance. I'm pretty proud of her. I think it's pretty sweet."

Registration for the Bella Dance Academy summer camp opens on Monday. Students can register for that and other summer workshops through the dance school's website at www.belladance.ca.

Performers interested in participating on stage during the Do It Up burlesque show can contact doitupyk@gmail.com. For more on crazy legs dance classes, see www.crazylegscontemporary.com.