Keeping her on her toes: St. John's teen dancing at National Ballet School

These daysKeira O'Keefe starts her school day tying up her ballet shoes' ribbons before heading out to stretch at morning dance class.

The 13-year-old is part of a select group at Canada's National Ballet School in Toronto. She and other students focus on dance in the morning before getting to academic studies in the afternoon.

"Normally you go to the dance studio till late on in night and then you have school all day," O'Keefe said during a recent interview with CBC News.

"I like the way that it's scheduled. I have time to do everything that I need to do."

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The late nights in the studio certainly paid off for O'Keefe.

In the fall of 2022, the young dancer attended an audition hosted by the National Ballet School. Its staff often travel the country in search of new talent.

The schoolinvited O'Keefe to come train with them for the summer which acted as a longer audition and then offered her an invitation to live in Toronto and study for the entire school year.

"If I you had told me like five years ago, I would have been, 'really?'" O'Keefe said.

"I just love being here and I'm just very grateful to be able to live out my dreams."

From Cow Head to National Ballet School

While O'Keefe continues her studies in Ontario, the National Ballet School held auditions in late October at a dance studio in Mount Pearl.

A few nervous young dancers worked in the studio with dance teacher Phillip Payne leading them in person while a few others watched from Toronto through videoconferencing.

"For mepersonally, I'm looking for personality and musicality," said Payne."Especially in the younger age groups. You really want to see if they can use this vocabulary to express something."

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Payne is a calming but towering figure, and he smiles a lot when instructingthe eager dancers wearing numbers attached to their chests to be easily identified bythose watching the auditions.

When he speaks, there is a bit of a familiar tone that the young students might recognize.

"I'm from Cow Head," he said."We moved to Corner Brook and I got into some dance classes there on a dare."

Payne eventually turned in his hockey skates for dancing shoes, and the dares continued with two of Payne's buddies suggesting he audition for the Quinte Ballet School summer program in Belleville, Ont.

"I went ahead and auditioned," he said. "They didn't."

That acceptance made up for a late start in training. He says he received a lot of help along the way, allowing him to make it as a professional ballet dancer.

St. John's teen training at Canada's National Ballet School

7 months ago

Duration 2:16

Keira O'Keefe, 13, earned a coveted spot after auditioning in N.L. last fall. Now she's spending the year in Toronto, splitting her time between normal school work and intense ballet training. Recently the National Ballet School was back for more auditions in Mount Pearl.

He's retired now, and about four years ago he got a job teaching at the National Ballet School of Canada.

But when he talks about the journey from the Cow Head to where he is today, he gives credit to where he grew up.

"Newfoundlanders and Labradoriansdance," he said."It's in our blood, it's in our culture. Going out, moving your feet, there isn't a damn thing wrong with it."

While Payne continues the search for the next crop of ballet dancers, O'Keefe is embracing the opportunity she's earned.

The teenager misses her family and friends but thanks to her phone she's never too far from home.

O'Keefegets chances to come home but hopes that like Payne, her passion might be something younger dancers look up tosome day.

"I would love to get into a company and inspire other dancers,"she said.

For now, O'Keefe is working hardwith her training, as her spot in the school isn't a sure thing.

Each year acts an an audition, so the dancers are always on their toes.

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