Stratford Dance Co student Pierce MacNeil heading to Prague with Team Canada Dance

Tap dancing sensation Pierce MacNeil, who is currently training with Stratford Dance Co, has joined Team Canada Dance/International Dance Organization (IDO) to compete at the World Tap Championships in Prague, Czechia. The competition takes place Oct. 22-26.

The IDO is a world dance and dance-sport federation with a membership of over 90 countries representing more than 250,000 dancers across six continents. The best dancers worldwide will compete for the World Championship title. Team Canada Dance is a non-profit national member organization (NMO) with IDO. They audition dancers and recruit the best choreographers to represent Canada for the World Championship.

MacNeil has been studying tap since the tender age of three and to be on Team Canada Dance at the age of eleven is thrilling to her. Unbeknownst to Pierce, her mother Stacey saw a call for dancers and upon consideration with family, submitted videos of Pierce dancing.

“There was a public call on social media that said they were still looking for strong tappers age 12 and under, message if interested. That was on Canada Day, so I said to my dad and my husband that I was going to send in her videos. I sent in her solo and duet video without telling her, and thought if it works and (we) decide to do it and can attempt it, great, but if she doesn’t get accepted then no worries, she doesn’t event know. At 7 a.m. the next morning we got a message saying she was accepted,” said Stacey.

Together as a family the decision was made and Pierce was so excited. They had heard really good things about the experience and felt this was just the perfect opportunity to kickstart a trajectory at a time that Pierce perhaps needed the push.

Each dancer on the team is given two routines automatically: a large group called Formation and Production, which is all ages and a large seven-minute routine. From there, further consideration is given, and extras can be offered.

“Pierce was fortunate to be offered a small group with seven dancers and a trio with three dancers, both choreographed by Mike Glenney. He won the world championship last year for the adult division so he is well known in the tap world,” said Stacey.

Making the team was a surprise for Pierce, “It felt good, I was surprised. I was wondering why she was watching videos at the kitchen table. It means a lot to represent Canada because I have worked hard to get here,” said Pierce.

She has been training since July and during the summer months would train nine hours a day in studio for a week, then take two weeks off and practice at home. That routine was followed until school started again and now her training is mostly weekends.

“The challenge is that it is a lot of hours (of practice). During the summer, before school, I would have a weeks’ practice and I would take two weeks off and do it again. But now it’s every weekend,” said Pierce.

With over 90 countries involved, competition will be wide and varied. She has been shown videos of competitors and standouts appear to be Mexico, Croatia and the United States. Last year, Team Canada Dance placed at the podium and now there is high expectations for the team.

The routine Pierce is most looking forward to is with the trio dancing to the tune, “Meet Me at the Roxy.” One of the girls she is dancing with was one that she competed against last year and they have become fast friends. What tap has taught Pierce the most is patience.

“When I’m learning a new move or something like that I would practice and I have to be patient and know that I will get it with patience,” said Pierce.

After Prague, her goals are to get better and to learn new skills. She will be doing a tap solo with Stratford Dance Co and beyond stage, her confidence has grown.

“I would like to thank those that helped me, especially my family and for the space at Stratford Dance Co that allows me to practice,” said Pierce.

There will be four categories that Pierce will dance in: Trio, choreography by Mike Glenney, Small Group, choreography by Mike Glenney, Formation, choreography by Kim Barker and rehearsal coach Theresa Domingues, and Production, which includes dancers from all age groups (under 12, under 16, and over 16), choreography by Matthew Clark.

Team Canada Dance is comprised of two groups that have come together as one team: Canada East and Canada West.