Sault's modern day Billy Elliot (5 photos)
Monday, February 18, 2013 by: Connie Carello
Only formally dancing for two years under the instruction of Fred Astaire Mega Dance in Ottawa, local resident Carrie Apostle identifies herself as modern day “Billy Elliot.”
Willing to take on any challenge, Apostle is a role model for all those who aspire to compete in the world of dance, but more generally all those who wish to become an embodiment of their passion.
The passion lit for her at a young age dancing in her own living room, “When I was younger no one took classes for these types of things. We had one two bedroom apartment, one car, three brothers,” Apostle laughs, “so there really was no opportunity for lessons but my cousin and I loved to dance, since than I compare myself to that “Billy Elliot,” movie because for me, when I dance, I feel like I leave my body and am free.”
Considering Apostle has received instruction in a variety of forms of dance within the last two years, one may assume that she would be recognized as a novice in the professional world of dance.
However, so far, Apostle has participated in two competitions and has surprised several reputable judges and has had the opportunity to rub-shoulders with many iconic dancers such as Jean-Marc Genereux.
When participating in the National Dance Championship in Orlando in 2011, Apostle received first, second, and third awards in over sixteen dances she performed which included the hustle, a dance she only received instruction in one week before the entry date.
Apostle later went on to compete in the Fred Astaire Dance Studios Canadian National Dance Sport Competition where she placed first in thirty-nine performances.
Prior to successfully competing or even enrolling in dance competitions, Apostle was often asked by a former organization, the Sault Opera Society, to assist in the choreography of their shows, “with no dance experience” she adds.
When first taking on a role for a Tim Murphy production called, “Once upon a mattress,” Apostle’s love for the arts grew into a passion she could not contain and after a life-altering experience decided that there was no better time than the present to follow her dream.
“I was having kidney failure. For the first little while, I was experiencing dialysis complications and I remember going to the hospital and returning to the stage with my arm swollen into the size of a balloon and I just went with it” Apostle said.
After having a kidney transplant, Apostle developed a positive mentality that drove her ambition straight into reality, “I asked myself, what am I waiting for? I told myself, it is never too late for new beginnings and immediately enrolled in dance classes in Ottawa. I wanted to learn about the history, the movements, the technique, I wanted to learn everything.”
Now, for Apostle, it is about getting other people moving.
With the knowledge she has retained through both in-class instruction and though attending dance competitions, Apostle has launched her own instructional company known as “Ballroom and Beyond,” and offers classes in a wide-array of dance disciplines including salsa.
A class she is hoping to offer at the Moose Lodge on Thursday evenings from 7 to 8pm at the cost of $5.00 dollars a person.
Partners are not required but Apostle hopes to have at least fifteen people present in order for the class to run.
Those interested can find contact information for Apostle on her website www.ballroomandbeyond.ca.
For now, Apostle is once again in dance competition mode as she will be a competitor in Scottsdale, Arizona in just a few short weeks on March 5th.
