The world of dance is extremely competitive. Without a supportive environment of teachers who love the craft and want to create nurturing spaces, the dance world can be very intimidating for its inhabitants. The Quinte region is fortunate to have a national dance school, the Quinte Ballet School of Canada (QBSC) in its midst and even luckier to have a QBSC alumnus, Desirée Botting, as the Assistant Artistic Director.
Botting began her dance journey at a young age under the direction of QBSC founding Artistic Director, Brian Scott. She faced financial challenges when beginning ballet training, as it can be costly, but Botting was determined. She auditioned every year, even though her family initially struggled to find funding to enroll her in the school.
“I auditioned for the school a number of times, and my parents, for subsequent years, didn’t let me attend. And of course, as an adult now, I understand that there are financial constraints that just don’t permit those things to happen sometimes. But eventually, the founding director, Brian Scott, looked at my mother at one of the auditions and said, ‘Stop bringing her. If it’s not now, stop,’” said Botting. “So we figured out a way. I applied for membership through the National Aboriginal Achievement Foundation, and they ended up sponsoring me throughout my time. So I was allowed to come.”
Upon completing the Professional Training Program at the QBSC, Botting went on to the Cecchetti teacher training program so she could pass on her love of dance. Cecchetti training ensures dancers are capable of performing in every style of ballet, a feat for any dancer. The ability to teach a variety of styles ensures that students who graduate from the QBSC will be able to join any dance company in the world, as they have the necessary skills.
Botting has performed globally as a dancer. She performed with the Cuballet de Vernon in Havana and Toronto’s Desrosiers Dance Theatre, but the passion for teaching has been with her since she completed her time at the QBSC.
“I decided that teaching was more in line with what I was interested in doing because I saw the strength of the school and, at the time, also the weaknesses of the school and thought, you know, I’d like to be a part of moving this and helping and seeing where we can go as we go forward with the school’s future,” said Botting. “And so I took the teacher training program and was just working in the recreational school at the time. And then one summer school, the first summer school, somebody dropped out at the last minute, and they sort of looked at me and said, well, you’ll do. So I started teaching in that summer.”
After stepping away for a bit to raise a family, Botting had a chance meeting with current Artistic Director Catherine Taylor, who invited her to come back and teach as often as parenthood allowed. This has evolved into her current full-time position. Botting was at the QBSC during lockdowns when schools had to close their doors. This didn’t stop the QBSC team from ensuring students had a routine, though.
“Our students still had opportunities to connect in a different way, but there was still a connection. There was still a daily ritual that they were doing, so it kept them open and still involved with something instead of just, you know, stuck in their homes. But at least they had that. It propelled us, I think, to be more creative with how we approach things.”
The QBSC runs year-round programs for dance students, both professional stream and those who want to pursue dance recreationally. They have two yearly performances in the spring and winter. Join us in celebrating the vibrant world of dance and support the Quinte Ballet School of Canada as we nurture the next generation of talented dancers!
https://www.quinteballetschool.com/
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