Approximately thirty dancers auditioned in front of national teachers Wednesday at Stoney Brook Dance Company in Steinbach.

Senior ballet teacher Deborah Hess says each year they tour the country looking for potential talent to recruit. This year they are hitting twenty cities, beginning November 9th in Calgary, Alberta and ending April 2nd in St. John's, Newfoundland. Steinbach is their only stop in Manitoba this year.

Hess explains master classes were held Tuesday, followed by auditions on Wednesday. She notes they are looking for students to attend their summer school and then potentially their fulltime ballet academic program in Toronto. According to Hess, Canada's National Ballet School is the only ballet academy in North America to provide elite dance training, academic instruction and residential care on the same campus.

Karla Coldwell owns Stoney Brook Dance Company. She says it was very exciting to be named a host site again this year.

"They are very talented, very good teachers," says Coldwell. "It's just a great opportunity for our kids and then any other kids that are able to come and participate as well."

Coldwell says about thirty dancers auditioned Wednesday, but not all of them are from Stoney Brook. In fact, she says this year only a few of her dancers took part. Most of the other ones came from Brandon and Winnipeg.

Coldwell adds the auditions are a great opportunity for dancers to get feedback from another set of eyes.

"The kids will hear something a different way from somebody else," she says. "If a career in dance is something that they are hopeful for then the more exposure they can get the better. Even just if they love to dance, then it's a great way to get more experience with it."

Coldwell says Stoney Brook has hosted Canada's National Ballet School in the past and in fact a few of her dancers have been accepted into the summer school.

Meanwhile, Hess says they chose Stoney Brook because "it's a lovely facility with a large studio and very nice people that run it."

Hess says when trying to determine whether a dancer should be recruited they are looking to see if that child loves to move, responds to music, has a certain amount of flexibility and a sparkle in their eye when they start to listen to music.

"We will never turn anybody away that we think has the potential," she says. "We'll never turn anybody away because of financial means."

Dancers that auditioned ranged in age from 9 to 19, involving boys and girls. In fact, Hess says the male/female split at their school right now is almost 50/50. She thinks the interest among boys is due to some television shows and movies.

Any student still wanting to audition should visit www.nbs-enb.ca.