The show might only be 45 minutes long, but the Royal Bay secondary dance academyB次元官网网址檚 winter performance promises to pack a lot into a short time.

Jazz, contemporary and lyrical styles will be the focus of the performance for the academyB次元官网网址檚 92 students across 12 separate numbers.

B次元官网网址淚tB次元官网网址檚 the repertoire weB次元官网网址檝e built so far to date. We usually have a two-hour show at the end of June and at this point in the year we show what weB次元官网网址檝e got,B次元官网网址� noted Leanne Harrington, dance academy director.

The work of three different choreographers will be featured, including Harrington; Robyn White, who also teaches at the academy; and Julia Barrett, a dance instructor from the Boston Dance Collective in Victoria. Performers include students from Grade 9 through Grade 12.

Variety is key to building an exciting program, according to Harrington, and the three different styles that the students have been working on allow for a nice mix thatB次元官网网址檚 sure to entertain the audience.

B次元官网网址淵ou try to switch it up as best as you can,B次元官网网址� she said.

Audiences will move with the dancers through fast, moderate and slow movements, keeping them on their toes. Later in the year, the academy will add hip hop and tap to their repertoire, adding a whole new dimension.

B次元官网网址淭hose elements take you faster, so youB次元官网网址檒l have more of that up and down; nice slow pieces to high-energy pieces,B次元官网网址� she said.

The jazz piece will provide the winter show with its high-energy sections, while the contemporary and lyrical elements are slower and more methodical.

B次元官网网址淛azz is going to be more upbeat for the audience, theyB次元官网网址檙e going to notice a lot more energy, more stylistic movements,B次元官网网址� Harrington said. B次元官网网址淲ith lyrical, its roots are based on sort of a cross between ballet (and jazz).B次元官网网址�

The contemporary pieces, choreographed by Barrett, are more in line with what people might see from a modern dance company.

While the performance isnB次元官网网址檛 Christmas-themed, performers will take their bows to Christmas music and Christmas costumes will be donned at the end of the show to give the evening a dose of holiday spirit.

Each student enrolled in the academy dances for 80 minutes per day, five days a week for the entire school year. That practice time sparks a lot of improvement among the dancers and most are with Harrington for four years.

B次元官网网址淚t obviously lends itself to a lot of development in terms of their flexibility, so they see a lot of gains there, and in terms of their technique development. We move through a number of different units,B次元官网网址� she said.

B次元官网网址淪pecific to each genre thereB次元官网网址檚 different technical elements and they work on those until they move on to a new genre of dance.B次元官网网址�

For a chance to see what the academy has accomplished so far this year, bring five food items (or $5) to Royal BayB次元官网网址檚 Teechamitsa Theatre on Dec. 13. Doors open at 6:30 p.m. and the show will begin at 7.

joel.tansey@goldstreamgazette.com