The Wolfville Ridge resident, recent Horton High graduate and long-time Acadia Dance Collective Community member will begin a new phase of her life and career this fall when she begins studies at the Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT).
“I’ve been balancing dance and studies throughout my high school years,” says the 18-year-old. “I’m not really willing to let either one go, but I’ve decided now I want to just dance.”
She applied to a number of universities and was accepted at Ryerson and York, both in Ontario, but chose to pursue dance.
“It’s been my life for a long time, and I’d like to keep it that way, at least for now,” she said.
TDT, she says, “offers conservatory-style training, full immersion, contemporary modern, with more opportunities to expand your style,” which is what she wants.
“They don’t offer a degree, but the school is affiliated with York University. When I’m done, I can enroll in a degree program at York and transfer all my credits.”
Longtime passion for dance
Bush Anderson isn’t exactly sure when she started dancing, but figures she was around six years old.
“I’ve been a member of the Acadia Dance Collective Community since it opened, which was 13 years ago.”
Begun as a co-operative run by Acadia students, the Acadia Dance Collective (and Community) has, since last year, been a registered, not-for-profit collective.
As the only student in a lot of her classes, she has, over the years, “been able to get a lot of one-on-one time, and time to work on my technique,” Bush Anderson said.
“It’s been neat,” because with Acadia students doing the teaching, “I’ve gotten a whole new set of teachers about every four years.”
Bush Anderson has learned ‘acrobatic’ dancing – her favourite style – along with ballet and tap dance.
“I’ve had the chance to learn a lot of different things,” she says, but because her teachers have kept changing, “I’ve never had the chance to be coached by any one teacher, who knew me and how I danced, for very long.”
That’s an issue with ballet in particular.
“You need to have been trained as a professional since the age of 11 or 12. I didn’t get that kind of structure, but on the positive side, I’m able to do a lot of different things, and I’ve gotten to be my own boss.”
She has trained in a lot of different styles, been taught by a lot of different teachers, “and I’ve learned from them all.”
Gaining experience
Her training has also given her a list of contacts, including a number of former Acadia students who have since moved on, including Courtney Smith, who founded the Acadia Dance Collective and expanded it into the community.
Although she has attended other dance programs, including the Precision Dance Company in Kingston-Greenwood in Grade 11 and Tao Dancing this past year, most of her experience has come through Acadia.
“(Acadia) has three levels of dance training. There’s Dance Acadia, there’s the Acadia Dance Collective - Acadia students teaching each other - and the Acadia Dance Collective Community - Acadia students teaching in the community.”
Two years ago, Bush Anderson started dancing with the collective.
“Even though I wasn’t an Acadia student, I was allowed in because of my previous experience.”
This experience has also allowed her to begin teaching younger dancers.
“I’m not really certified as a teacher, but I’ve been an assistant for the past eight years,” she explained.
Both her Norwegian father and British mother are consultants who work all over the world. A few years ago, she got to do a volunteer trip to Ethiopia with her dad.
“It was part of an NGO (non-government organization) to support children who had been affected by HIV/AIDS. As part of it, I got to teach dance to children aged eight to 13.”
She has also gotten to do volunteer work in India, through Free the Children, and in other countries through other charities, including Feed the Children.
“My parents’ line of work has opened a lot of doors for me,” she says.
The chance to travel has also fuelled her other passion, the field of international development, and given her some experience in that area as well.
“My eventual goal is to do a double degree in dance and international development. That’s why I chose TDT, because of its affiliation with York.”
No matter what the future holds, dance will always be an important part of her life.
“Around here, dance tends to be more competitive, more of a sport than an art form,” says Bush Anderson.
“I don’t necessarily like the competitive part, but it has been good experience. I prefer the art part of it, as a way to express oneself and deliver a message.”
The Wolfville Ridge resident, recent Horton High graduate and long-time Acadia Dance Collective Community member will begin a new phase of her life and career this fall when she begins studies at the Toronto Dance Theatre (TDT).
“I’ve been balancing dance and studies throughout my high school years,” says the 18-year-old. “I’m not really willing to let either one go, but I’ve decided now I want to just dance.”
She applied to a number of universities and was accepted at Ryerson and York, both in Ontario, but chose to pursue dance.
“It’s been my life for a long time, and I’d like to keep it that way, at least for now,” she said.
TDT, she says, “offers conservatory-style training, full immersion, contemporary modern, with more opportunities to expand your style,” which is what she wants.
“They don’t offer a degree, but the school is affiliated with York University. When I’m done, I can enroll in a degree program at York and transfer all my credits.”
Longtime passion for dance
Bush Anderson isn’t exactly sure when she started dancing, but figures she was around six years old.
“I’ve been a member of the Acadia Dance Collective Community since it opened, which was 13 years ago.”
Begun as a co-operative run by Acadia students, the Acadia Dance Collective (and Community) has, since last year, been a registered, not-for-profit collective.
As the only student in a lot of her classes, she has, over the years, “been able to get a lot of one-on-one time, and time to work on my technique,” Bush Anderson said.
“It’s been neat,” because with Acadia students doing the teaching, “I’ve gotten a whole new set of teachers about every four years.”
Bush Anderson has learned ‘acrobatic’ dancing – her favourite style – along with ballet and tap dance.
“I’ve had the chance to learn a lot of different things,” she says, but because her teachers have kept changing, “I’ve never had the chance to be coached by any one teacher, who knew me and how I danced, for very long.”
That’s an issue with ballet in particular.
“You need to have been trained as a professional since the age of 11 or 12. I didn’t get that kind of structure, but on the positive side, I’m able to do a lot of different things, and I’ve gotten to be my own boss.”
She has trained in a lot of different styles, been taught by a lot of different teachers, “and I’ve learned from them all.”
Gaining experience
Her training has also given her a list of contacts, including a number of former Acadia students who have since moved on, including Courtney Smith, who founded the Acadia Dance Collective and expanded it into the community.
Although she has attended other dance programs, including the Precision Dance Company in Kingston-Greenwood in Grade 11 and Tao Dancing this past year, most of her experience has come through Acadia.
“(Acadia) has three levels of dance training. There’s Dance Acadia, there’s the Acadia Dance Collective - Acadia students teaching each other - and the Acadia Dance Collective Community - Acadia students teaching in the community.”
Two years ago, Bush Anderson started dancing with the collective.
“Even though I wasn’t an Acadia student, I was allowed in because of my previous experience.”
This experience has also allowed her to begin teaching younger dancers.
“I’m not really certified as a teacher, but I’ve been an assistant for the past eight years,” she explained.
Both her Norwegian father and British mother are consultants who work all over the world. A few years ago, she got to do a volunteer trip to Ethiopia with her dad.
“It was part of an NGO (non-government organization) to support children who had been affected by HIV/AIDS. As part of it, I got to teach dance to children aged eight to 13.”
She has also gotten to do volunteer work in India, through Free the Children, and in other countries through other charities, including Feed the Children.
“My parents’ line of work has opened a lot of doors for me,” she says.
The chance to travel has also fuelled her other passion, the field of international development, and given her some experience in that area as well.
“My eventual goal is to do a double degree in dance and international development. That’s why I chose TDT, because of its affiliation with York.”
No matter what the future holds, dance will always be an important part of her life.
“Around here, dance tends to be more competitive, more of a sport than an art form,” says Bush Anderson.
“I don’t necessarily like the competitive part, but it has been good experience. I prefer the art part of it, as a way to express oneself and deliver a message.”
