Innisfil's Got Talent winner Eva Graves has qualified to represent Canada at the Dance World Cup 2022 Finals in San Sebastian, Spain.
After impressing others with her talent and energy, the 13-year-old dancer dreams about making her debut on the world stage in June.
"I am excited most about the experience of travelling and performing on an International Stage with dancers from other countries,” said Eva.
Eva seemed destined to dance since she was little.
“Eva danced or flipped everywhere! If she was taking something to the kitchen, she was getting there by counting how many cartwheels it took to go from the living room to the kitchen,” said mom Anna Graves.
Eva’s story as a dancer began at the age of four when she was spotted by her parents making up her own moves while waiting for her older sister and cousin’s classes to finish at Miss Jennie's Performing Arts Studio (MJPAS) in Innisfil.
“We knew she needed to get into a formal class to help foster that creativity,” said Anna.
Eva started with a beginner tap class and by the end of that first lesson, she was asked to join the competitive team with her older sister. She then started with a couple of competitive groups, and now she is engaged in every style of dance offered.
“She’s fabulous!”, commented MJPAS’s owner Kate Badger.
In Spain, Eva will dance in three different groups — Jazz, Contemporary, and Acrobatics — and in additional dances including three solos, one trio, and two small and three large group dances with the World Performers Canada (WPC) team.
Eva finds competing with top dancers from over 62 countries at the World Cup finals a bit intimidating, but also a special opportunity.
"I expect to learn from the other dancers. Seeing how they dance, how they incorporate their culture into their performances. But mostly being able to share my passion for dance with other people who have the same passion," she said.
She has been working hard in her routine of training leading up to the World Cup. In addition to training in all the dance styles that she competes with at MJPAS, she is pursuing additional acro training with CTRL — a company focused on elite athletes who want to excel in acrobatics.
As for her specific training with WPC, she trains mostly on holidays, weekends or school breaks. And outside of all this formal training, Eva is working independently to memorize her choreography.
“Eva has always spent more time upside down than standing on her feet,” noted her mom.
Among all the different styles, acro is the one that fuels Eva’s passion for dance. Her mom remembers this has been "her thing" from the time that she could crawl.
“She was always twirling and doing cartwheels through the house. She would spend hours flipping off the couch onto pillows on the ground.”
When Eva thinks of what’s next in her career as a dancer, acro is right in her sight.
"My next big goal would be to work towards having an opportunity to train and then hopefully perform with Cirque du Soleil," she said
