Moose Jaw’s Dance Images by BJ has taken part in many a major competition and event over the years, but few will compare to the stage they’ll be on during Grey Cup weekend.
The local dance studio will be joining Canadian Football League cheerleading teams and a host of performers from around the province during the Grey Cup Festival Cheer Extravaganza on Saturday, Nov. 19 at the Brandt Centre in Regina.
The event is part of a host of festivities taking place as part of the CFL championship game in the Queen City, and needless to say, it’s a special time for Dance Images’ senior troupe as they prepare for the big show.
“It’s going to be a huge audience out there, there are over 500 performers and that's not even talking about the people that are going to be in the crowd watching, so we're pretty excited about that,” said Shauna Bzdel with Dance Images by BJ. “[The Extravaganza] used to be just exclusive to the CFL cheer teams, so they're branching out and getting a few more outside performance groups come in and we're very honoured that we were asked and selected to be part of it.”
The opportunity came out of a simple e-mail invitation from the Extravaganza’s organizers, offering Dance Images a chance to be part of a select few outside performers at the event.
“There are actually only two other dance studios that are performing other than ourselves, so to have been on the list of studios to be asked is quite, quite impressive,” Bzdel said.
Shortly after accepting the invitation, it was right to work. The format will be different compared to what Dance Images is used to, with the traditional cheerleading floor set-up as opposed to a theatrical stage. Fortunately for the local group, they have an inside source on what the whole thing is like -- Bzdel herself is a former Saskatchewan Roughriders cheerleader and has seen what Cheer Extravaganza is like over the years.
“It's going to be such a different performance opportunity because everything's going to be right there at ground level,” she said. “So the audience is really going to be right in front of your face, and it's such a different energy and vibe that you get when your audience is so up close and personal. So it's gonna be really exciting.”
Preparations have focussed on dealing with the extra room to move -- from choreography to formations and spacing and everything in between -- with a focus on getting major details pinpointed well in advance of the show itself.
“When we actually get there on Saturday, it'll be nice because we will have one opportunity to perform on the mat before we actually have our live performance, so that’ll be a really important rehearsal,” Bzdel said. “We've been working hard here at the studio to make sure everything's all ready before we end up going there so that on the day of the performance, it's really just the staging.”
The entire show will offer another special opportunity for the performers: a chance to see and meet actual, professional on-field CFL performers up close and personal -- and potentially receive a few tips and tricks about joining the professional ranks themselves.
“There's lots of different opportunities out there in the realms of dance crews, but now being part of Cheer Extravaganza, they might be able to take all of their training and education from these past years and still be able to continue doing something they love in a different way,” Bzdel said.
It’ll be a busy weekend in general for Dance Images, as they’re also helping the Moose Jaw Warriors at the Hockey Fights Cancer game the night before.
“So there will be a lot going on that weekend, but we’re definitely going to enjoy it,” Bzdel said.
Tickets for the Cheer Extravaganza are $20 each, with kids 14-and-under free, and available through the www.greycupfestival.ca website by scrolling down to the Cheer Extravaganza ticket sales headline. The first performances take place at 1 p.m. at the Brandt Centre, with the show wrapping up around 3:30 p.m.
