Huge congratulations to Kaia Neal, age 14, who has been selected as the Intermediate age level (ages 13 to 15 years) Provincial Representative for Ballet from Surrey Festival of Dance! This year’s Provincial Festival of Performing Arts BC, affectionately known as “The Provincials” will be held in Chilliwack, May 26 to 30.
Kaia will be performing her Classical solo variation, prepared by Cori Caulfield; and her Contemporary Ballet solo, choreographed by Hailley Caulfield Postle with Cori Caulfield, and prepared by Cori Caulfield. Kaia is looking forward to representing our region (and our school!) as the final competition in what has been an incredible season.
This is only Kaia’s second year competing. As in her first year, Kaia was selected from a Youth American Grand Prix Semi-Final to compete at the Y.A.G.P. Final event in New York City as a soloist and a member of an ensemble. In all regional events, she has placed in the top 3 with every piece entered, solos, duo, and groups, in classical ballet, interpretive ballet, contemporary ballet, contemporary, and lyrical jazz.
Kaia Neal, Intermediate Provincial Ballet Representative for Surrey Festival of Dance
From the 2019 Seattle Semi-Final, Kaia was offered scholarships to the Colorado Ballet School Summer and Full Year programs, and for the Bolshoi Ballet Academy Summer program. From the Final, she has received scholarship offers from the International Summer School (Italy) and Summer Tuition Scholarship to Sarasota Cuban Ballet School (USA).
From Surrey Festival of Dance, Kaia received several scholarships and trophies. Being selected as the Provincial Representative from this competition is indeed an honour. Surrey Festival of Dance is one of the largest dance competitions in the world (with approximately 10 000 entries each year).
Performing Arts Festivals from all over the province, which meet strict criteria, can select representatives at allowable age levels in specified disciplines to compete in the Provincial Festival of Performing Arts BC.
Good luck at “The Provincials” Kaia!
Kaia, who had taken some ballet when she was little, took 3 years completely away from dance before she took a jazz technique drop-in class at Caulfield School of Dance in the summer of 2016, when she was 11 years old. Teacher, Hailley Caulfield Postle, recognized her talent right away, and Kaia took ballet and jazz courses that September, to June 2017.
Kaia’s first ever competition experience was to perform a classical variation from the ballet Don Quixote en pointe at the 2018 Youth American Grand Prix – the largest international ballet competition in the world – Semi Final in Las Vegas.
We could not be more proud of Kaia’s progress!