BIG STEP
A Port Moody dancer studying with the San Francisco Ballet School has been promoted for the 2015 repertory season.
Last week, the institution announced trainee Benjamin Freemantle had won a spot as a new apprentice, meaning he will join the company class and perform corps de ballet roles.
Last weekend, Freemantle was in the Tri-Cities to perform a surprise solo in the Friday year-end show for the Caulfield School of Dance, of which he is an alumnus. In last year's PNE Star Showdown finale, Freemantle placed second in the provincial talent competition.
PROVINCIAL PRIZES
A number of representatives from the Coquitlam District Music Festival have come home with awards from last week's provincials in Penticton.
Port Moody's Athena Deng took the runner-up title in the junior B piano category while Steven Gong, a New Westminster resident, placed first in the senior piano field and Erik Xi Xin Liang of Vancouver was named the runner-up in the national piano event; Liang also clinched a scholarship for the best performance.
PoMo triple threat Tiana Jung also won a runner-up accolade for senior musical theatre while Roan Shankaruk of Vancouver earned the top spot for national musical theatre as well as national vocal variety.
In the junior vocal variety, Lydia Querengesser of Pitt Meadows received an honourable mention while Allison Keogh of Vancouver took the runner-up position for junior speech arts. Timothy Sayson of Richmond won the intermediate Shakespeare category and was named runner-up for intermediate speech arts.
NEW UKELELE GROUP
A world-renowned ukulele master from Hawaii will be in Coquitlam next month to teach and perform.
The Coquitlam Ukulele Tiny Instrument Enthusiasts - or CUTIE - will have its inaugural meeting on July 8 with a workshop and concert by Kimo Hussey.
The course, titled Beyond C, F and G7, is at 4 p.m. with a potluck dinner to follow at 5:30 p.m. and a show at 7:30 p.m. at 1536 Sprice Ave.
The cost to attend both events is $35. To register, email [email protected].
LA LA LA
A song penned by Kylie Fonacier and performed by the Pinetree secondary school vocal jazz choir has won an award from B.C. Lt.-Gov. Judith Guichon.
The Coquitlam school entered the Sing Me A Song program to write and sing a tune in the lead up to Canada's 150th birthday celebrations in 2017. And Pinetree's submission - titled Here's To Us All - earned the U-16 prize.
NATIONALS
Two Coquitlam pianists have advanced to the finals in the Canadian Music Competition.
Jerry Wang, seven, and Mariya Orlenko, 14, are among 22 young musicians from B.C. to win a spot in the classical music contest, happening in Quebec City from June 21 to July 3.
