The Greatest Outdoor Show on Earth, the Calgary Stampede, has always been a platform for showcasing extraordinary talent, and this year’s iteration was no exception.
Among the group of remarkable performers who took the stage at the Stampede's nightly Grandstand Show was one gifted youth hailing from Airdrie: Shaelene Smith. The local dancer was part of the renowned troupe known as The Young Canadians, which is a school of performing arts that has been part of the Stampede’s famed Grandstand Show since 1968.
Smith, a 16-year-old student from George McDougall High School, joined The Young Canadians in 2022. She said she was proud to represent Airdrie in the Grandstand Show for each night of the 10-day Stampede.
“It’s such an honour, Young Canadians is my second home, so being there [on the stage] just makes me so happy,” she said.
The Young Canadians, as per their website, is comprised of approximately 100 dedicated and talented youths from the Calgary area, ranging in age from eight to 21 years old.
After being selected, the school provides its participants comprehensive training in performance, vocal instruction, ballet, jazz, tap, and acrobatics.
Throughout the year, members have the privilege of showcasing their talents in dance and vocal performances, as well as participate in workshops led by internationally known performers, choreographers, and educators.
As the countdown to the Calgary Stampede began, Smith and her peers invested hundreds of hours of rehearsals in the months leading up to the event.
“In the regular year, we dance four days a week for five hours every day and then when it comes to the grandstand performance, we come in every single day at least two weeks before the show and we practice from 2 to 11 every night,” Smith said.
“It’s a lot, but it is so much fun and I love every second of it.”
Smith and her colleagues experienced the gratifying results of their hard work when they showcased their performance at the Calgary Stampede in front of a live audience for the first time.
"It was a lot of hours of work that we did this year, but it was lots of fun," 16-year-old Ally Crampton from Didsbury also said. “It taught me leadership skills and it taught me a really strong work ethic.”
The Young Canadians' act is a mesmerizing display of talent, complemented by live musicians, pyrotechnics, special effects, and acrobatics. It's an experience that not only showcases the individual abilities of its participants, but also the ability to work together as a team.
"Teamwork is built into it, especially with people that you just met," Smith said. “We all worked as a team to put the show together and we were able to conquer everything we needed to do in a very short span of time and make the show very amazing.”
Beyond the glitz and glamour, The Young Canadians program instills valuable life skills, fosters confidence, and empowers young people like Smith to embrace their artistic passions.
“We also learn how to problem solve on stage because not everything goes the way it should be, so you have to problem solve and think of something right away,” Smith said.
For Smith, this year's participation in the Grandstand Show is hopefully just the beginning of a bright future filled with potential and possibilities.
“They prepare us for outside when we are ready to leave, like if there’s an audition you can do around the world to become a better performer,” she said. “That’s just something you won’t get anywhere else.”
Parents interested in propelling their children’s stage careers are encouraged to audition for The Young Canadians on the Stampede’s corporate website.
