Yukon dancers chase their dream at Dancerpalooza

Two Whitehorse dancers are heading to California this week, after raising more than $2,500 through bake sales, bottle drives and community donations.

Kaydence Ohlin and Teagan Wiebe will be attending Dancerpalooza: A five-day dance convention in Long Beach California. 

Both girls say it's a dream come true.

"You get to dance with a lot of people and celebrities and stuff,and you get to dance and make up routines and show them at the end,"says Wiebe.  

Dancing together for nine years  

Both girls have been dancing since they were two years old. These days they're interested in hip-hop dance and practice at the Heart of Riverdale community centre in Whitehorse. 

"When I walk in here I feel like I belong here," Ohlin says. "I feel like all the dancers are a second family. I have been dancing here for nine years now, so it just feel like this is my home and I can trust everyone here."

Both say dancing takes persistence.

"While I am rehearsing it, if I don't get the move right I try and try it again. But in my mind it's telling me, come on you can do this, don't give up. If you still can't do it, like don't give up...you can't give up on this simple move," Ohlin says.

"I think that we work together as a team because we've known each other for so long, we're both respectful of each other. We've gotten, a little, into some fights but we've worked it through. But at the end of the day, fights or no fights, we're just best friends." 

Organizers expect about 4,000 people will attend Dancerpalooza at the Long Beach Convention Centre. Dancers range from 10 years old to college level. Days at the convention are filled with courses while evenings feature performances by professional dancers.  

Other dancers are travelling from across Canada, the U.S. and South America to attend.