Waterdown group wins gold at World Ballet Championships in Slovenia

A dance group from Waterdown competed on the international stage almost 700 km from home, bringing back a gold medal.

For 16-year-old Anna Petrakov, dancing is a passion and that means spending most of the summer practicing.

That summer-time practicing was all in preparation for the International Dance Organization’s World Ballet Championships in Slovenia this past December.

Petrakov and her teammates represented Canada, and this year the team took home gold.

Dance students from across Southern Ontario, as well as others from the East Coast auditioned in the spring to secure a spot on the team.

Christie Mackay-Hofland, the founder of Dancemakerz Studio in Waterdown led the auditions, and choreographed the winning ballet routine.

As for the next steps for these young dancers, they say it’s time to start practicing for the next competition.