The Art of Dance, a major pillar of the St. Albert dance scene, has closed its doors permanently after a 21-year run.
The closure came as a shock to local arts aficionados, many of whom viewed the studio as a local institution. Its founder Sherri Urkow taught dance to thousands of students over a career that spanned a total of 38 years.
Urkow, known to the arts community for her serenity, grace, diplomacy and love of children, cited health, financial and family reasons for her decision.
"My family had always taken second place in relation to the studio and I don't want that to be the case now. I never got to spend enough time with my boys. I often put other parents' kids before my own and I neglected my boys. But now I want to be there for them when they have kids, and for my husband," said Urkow.
A Mayor's Gala recipient of the 2011 Excellence in Arts Teaching Award, the petite adventurer first came to Canada from Britain in 1975 as a senior instructor for Gladys Smith and Alma Hughes, owners of the now defunct St. Albert School of Dance.
Her love affair with Canada started quite by accident.
"My dad ran a holiday business and I fell in love with the brochures – especially of Alberta and B.C.," she laughs, a faraway look in her eyes.
However, visiting Canada was the stuff of dreams and in day-to-day life she focused on her great passion – dance. Training at the Grandison College in Croydon, she worked towards a strong foundation in the Royal Academy of Dance technique.
Aware that she was on the short side with a weak "turnout" for ballet, Urkow developed a flair for musical theatre, cabaret and film work.
One of her steadiest gigs was dancing with Sweet Something, a sextet of dancers modeled on the BBC TV series Top of the Pops. The weekly program shimmied onto British television in 1964, promoting big hits of the week using music, dance and live bands.
After several successful years, Urkow faced a career detour. She fractured a toe in three places. While recuperating, she heard of St. Albert School of Dance.
Excited about new ventures, she gave the move across the pond a five-year tryout and never left. In large part, it was due to the deep friendship with Smith and Hughes, who gave her free rein to teach all the classes, totalling about 200 students.
When Smith and Hughes retired to British Columbia and sold the business, Urkow was uncomfortable working with the new owner. In 1993 she opted to risk opening her own two-room studio on Carnegie Drive, offering ballet, tap, jazz, Ukrainian and musical theatre. About 200 students signed up for classes, many transferring from the St. Albert School of Dance.
The gamble paid off, and in her second year, enrolment doubled. At its peak, Art of Dance expanded to 600 students and offered classes that ranged from the traditional core to lyrical, hip hop and technique classes.
Talent pool
Through nearly four decades, Urkow taught some incredibly talented artists. As she lists them, there is a visible pride in her face and voice.
She ticks off Cirque du Soleil casting director Krista Monson, Azure Barton protégé Andrew Murdock, Disney Cruise dancer Laura-Lyn Roberts, and Jackie O'Kell Pooke, MacEwan University instructor and St. Albert Children's Theatre in-house choreographer – to name a few.
In riding the performing arts wave for nearly four decades, Urkow has noticed changes that parallel other artistic disciplines.
"There's been a slight drop in dance interest. Kids today are so busy with many activities. I see a definite drop in households and what they choose as priorities. Tap is not as popular because hip-hop has made huge inroads. And ballet requires a huge technical capability and commitment, and there's not always that level of commitment," Urkow confides.
On the other hand, she notes that the invasion of hip-hop has removed the stigma attached to boys dancing.
"It's made it more acceptable. It's athletic. And now if they ask a girl to dance, they have rhythm," she laughs.
She has also witnessed a decline in the number of qualified dancers choosing teaching as a full-time career path. Most teach for a bit of extra cash while attending post-secondary.
"It's hard to find girls with the proper training and if you open a studio, it's a huge financial burden."
Yet students joyfully returned year after year to Urkow's safe environment, polishing their skills and discovering the power of confidence.
At the school's final recital, there was no trumpeting fanfare. Yet Urkow received a special homage from a wet-eyed crowd.
"At the recital, I was paid the most beautiful tribute. Until then I hadn't realized how many people I'd touched," she laughs with a blush.
"It's been an amazing journey. I found friendships from the school that I maintain today. I don't know how many kids I've taught over the years. But I know that's one thing I will miss dreadfully – the children."
Even as the curtain drops on the school, Urkow starts a new chapter focusing on her backyard English-style garden, traveling and choreographing commissioned works.
"I can't count how many people I taught, but I hope I made them good people," she says. "That's what I told my girls. Be kind. Be honourable and be the best you can be."
