18 - Fridzy, Septernber 3, 1999 — North Shore News Learning a Layne Christensen News Reporter layne@nsnews.com WHILE girls her age are playing with Barbies and dreaming of meeting the Spice Giris, Sandy Chen is raining for a career in dance. On Sept. il, the former Chartwell Elementary student will board a plane tor Toronto, where she’s enrolled in the National Baller School. She’s only just curned 11, celebrating with a sleepover iast week, but Chen says she’s old enough to make the commit- ment. ’ “I know this is what I want to be — a dancer,” says the 4°4” bailerina. Chen spent July at the ballet’s summer school in Toronto, one of about 150 young dancers to be sclected from auditions across the country. She was among 45 students invited back this fall to attend the schiool’s full-time academic program. The young dancer had a heart-to-heart with her mom, Yu Wen Chen, before she was given permission to gc. “She was really cool,” says Chen. “She talked it over with me and made sure T knew the consequences of going and all the responsibility.” “T told her art as a career is not easy to do,” says Yu Wen Chen, who ‘with her husband, Yuan-Chicn Chen, has another daughter, Erin, 15. “The other thing (I told her) is she needed to take care of herself without parents behind her.” The Nationai Ballet Schoo!’s downtown facilitics are situated near Maple Leaf Gardens and include on-site residences for 160, nine studios, a pool, theatre, computer and science labs, and a state-of-the-art hysiotherapy clinic. The school employs two full-time physiotherapists, a podiatrist, a nutritionist, dance spe- cialists ancl body conditioning experts. A psychiatrist is assigned ’ to every grade level. :. Communications officer Stephen Johnson says the school’s 150 students receive the best in integrated ballet and academic / education; for iess than it costs to attend private school. Tuition for grades 5 through 8 is $4,200 plus $5,180 for room and board. Students in grades 9 through 12 pay $4,725 for tuition. : . “Ifyou want to come here, it’s tuly paradise, .” says Johnson. - | But it’s‘also hard work, according to Eraily Williams. The 15- year-old left West Van's Irwin Park Elernentary after Grade 6 to -attend the National Ballet School full sme. : ” “You're ‘always ruaning around from class to class and the” .. Only ime you. can rest is after dinner but then there’s home- : work,” said Williams last week, while home for the summer. may day at the ballet school starts at 8:30 a.m. and ends weil _ after 5 p.m, with’a minimum of three hours of dance and fitness . taining, French, music, art and history classes as well as a stiper- vised study period from 7 to 9 p.m. The young dancers also train on n Saturdays. The summer school is compulsory for ali returning You SEE. A LAWYER FOR ONE: REASON They understand the pipers and the . @ideace to be collected ; They have the Imowledge and - experience to assess the value of the claim They have the ability to collect a fair settlement ‘THERE IS ONLY ONE REASON TO SEE A LAWYRR..YOU NEED ONE ARDAGH FIUNTER _TURNER | 986-4366 ARTE HOURS 926-3181 Criminal matters only. #300-1401 LONSDALE AvE. NorTH VAN. ‘. *Esmail: harryh@ahilaw.com NEWS photo Teny Peters SANDY Chene enjoys sleepovers and laying the piano but it’s ballet that will hole her focus for tire next year. students. This year, Grade 20, will be Wiliams’ fourth at the school. “When i was litte, it was just a fun thing to do,” says Wiiliarns, who, like Chea, was 11 when she came to the school. “Now, it’s so different. We're getting older, becoming young dancers, dealing with growth spurts and so stressed all the time because (of things like) one gid can lift her ieg higher than you can.” Her advice for Chen, who she has nor yet met: “I'd probably say to her, it’s a Jot of fun but it’s a lot of hard work too. You're going to be tired a lot but it's al! worth it.” Both girls trained at North Van's Vanleena Dance Academy. The academy's founder, Eileena Vanneck, says the National Ballet School is highly acclaimed. “Tr’s every girl's dream to get into the National if she wants to be a dancer,” says Vanneck, who, over the years, has scen about 20 former students accepted into the.schoo!. It’s not just talent but determination that leads a dancer to succeed, says Vanneck. “Sandy has all those things and she also has her parents behind her,” he says. “T think sre'l have a future in dance because she Keaily wants it.” Yu Wen Chen recognizes that her daughter is young to be choosing a career but old enough to follow her deeam. “I fear if she really has ehis kind of talent I Jike her to oy earlier. If 1 don’: fet her try, when she’s older, she will fee! regret,” she says. “Yesterday I went to her school to tell her principal to transfer s her records,” she recalls. “I saw Mes. Andree, Sandy’s Grade 1 teacher. 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