Alberta ballet dancer off to New York City this summer

Central Alberta ballet dancer London Williams will be heading to New York City this summer to attend a two-week pre-professional ballet program at the prestigious Joffrey Ballet School.

Williams, 17, recently applied and was accepted to the program. She is a member of Dawn’s School of Dance in Carstairs and has been dancing for nine years.

Although she has worked in many styles of dance – including jazz, contemporary and lyrical – Williams says ballet is now her main focus.

During her dance career so far, Williams has performed in The Nutcracker with Alberta Ballet and attended the prestigious Victoria Academy of Ballet for a four-week program last summer.

Being accepted to the pre-professional ballet program is a major step in a path she hopes will eventually lead to becoming a professional ballet dancer.

“I’ve been looking at the Joffrey Ballet School for a few years and when we saw the opportunity to audition in Calgary, it was the perfect timing for me in my training,” she said. “It was a good starting point to step further into the professional world and training for that. 

“It is a big milestone for my career and my training. I’m very excited and a little nervous too. It’s a big step for a small-town dancer.”

Joffrey has schools in many locations, including in Italy, Los Angeles and Dallas.

“We ultimately settled on New York because that is their biggest hub,” she said.

Williams will at the school from July 15 to August 2.

Asked what the itinerary at Joffrey will involve, she said, “The program that I chose to go with does not have a performance at the end. The pre-professional ballet program sets you up for a professional career, so it dives into the day of a professional ballet dancer. 

“It’s very ballet-based. There are also some contemporary styles mixed in and some boys partnering work, but the main focus is to get you set up for a professional ballet role in the future.”

The chance to dance at Joffrey this summer is particularly exciting for Williams because if she does well she could be accepted into the full year-long program at the school.

She will actually find out if she’s been accepted into the 2024-25 program while in New York this summer.

William’s mother Shereen says she is almost as excited as her daughter about the big upcoming trip to New York. She will be accompanying her daughter, as will other family members.

London has two sisters who are also in Dawn’s School of Dance: Lorelai, 15, and Luna, 9.