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Saskatoon teen dancer chases dreams to Hollywood
WATCH: A Saskatoon teen is getting the opportunity of her dreams to pursue a dancing career on the biggest stages.
A Saskatoon teen is getting the opportunity of her dreams to pursue a career dancing on the biggest stages.
She's been invited to a two-week intensive camp to prepare her for the industry, but it's expensive, so she's raising money to pay for her trip.
When Sky Ouellet posted a video dancing to a Tate McRae song on social media, she didn't think much of it. But it caught the eye of a respected choreographer and director based in Los Angeles.
'A couple of months after I posted it, this girl named Milena Fortunato commented on it,' said Ouellet. 'And then I just started following her. We started DMing each other, and then she invited me to join her program called the Business of Dance.'
While she enjoys most genres of dance, Ouellet prefers hip hop.
'I kind of just fell in love with the style of hip hop,' Ouellet told CTV News. 'I trained in various other styles like ballet and contemporary. Hip hop is more loose in the body and also [includes] different types of styles like popping, locking, and breaking. Contemporary is more of a sad type of music; you flow more in your body and do more tricks. Hip hop is more of an upbeat music and more intense.'
On top of her regular high school studies, Ouellet has been taking online courses to learn about the business side of dance in Hollywood. And her performance got noticed there too.
'She saw how good I was doing, and she gave me a $500 scholarship to the Hollywood Summer Tour,' she said.
While in Los Angeles, Ouellet will be training with industry pros and studios, getting a behind-the-scenes look at the entertainment industry.
'I will have photo shoots, red carpet walks, music videos, and talent agency showcases,' she said. 'I'll be on TV; hopefully, it will take me far in my career.'
Saskatoon teen dancer chases dreams to Hollywood
(John Flatters/CTV News)
In an industry with as many lows as it has highs, Sky's parents were hesitant at first. But they see her passion and the opportunity that the Hollywood Summer Tour offers their daughter.
'Something that we're really looking forward to is the agencies that are going to be there,' said Garett Ouellet. 'And she's going to be able to have seminars, information seminars with them. They're going to walk her through the ins and outs of the industry, and then she'll be able to showcase her talents in front of them.'
While it's the opportunity of a lifetime, it's also an expensive trip in an already expensive sport. So, to help pay for the trip, her family is raising funds in a variety of ways.
'Our GoFundMe is our central fundraising place where you can go and donate,' said Ouellet. 'But we are working hard in other areas, like our bottle drives. It's been huge, so we've been going out most nights in our neighborhood. And it's been a small unit, just the five of us in a minivan.'
Ouellet says SARCAN locations in Saskatoon will accept donations at the Drop and Go counter.
'The Drop and Go is huge; it's Sky's Hollywood Tour.'
The family is also holding a Facebook auction, and Sky will be teaching a hip hop class in July to raise funds.
She'll be bringing back something to raise money for the Children's Hospital too.
'We're having a supporter shirt done up,' said Ouellet. 'It's going to be autographed with all the artists and the special guests down there, and then it's going to be brought back and auctioned off for the Saskatoon Children's Hospital.'
And while she has plans of performing at Madison Square Garden or the O2 Arena, Sky knows it's going to take a lot of effort.
'You don't just get famous overnight,' she said. 'You need to work hard for it, and you need to put in the time and effort and have the patience for it. Because if you don't have any of those three, then you will just not go anywhere, because there's no such thing as being famous overnight.'
The Hollywood Summer Tour begins on July 22.
