Shaina joins dance program

Branchville — Shaina Wire, 13, a student at Branchville Dance Centre in Olde Lafayette Village has been accepted into the North Carolina School of Performing Arts in Winston-Salem, N.C., for the school’s year-round program. After auditioning, Shaina was selected personally by the school’s artistic director Ethan Stiefel, who is former principal dancer with the American Ballet Theater in New York and starred in the dance movie “Centerstage.” “Very few dancers have the opportunity to be accepted into a program like this,” says Kim Falvey, director of the Branchville Dance Centre. Shaina has been intensively training in ballet, pointe, lyrical and modern for the past five years. “Her dedication and personality have made this dream a reality for her,” Falvey says. “The door to a professional career in dance has just been opened for her and we couldn’t be more proud.” Shaina’s ballet teacher/choreographer Nancy Volpe has been encouraging Shaina and other highly dedicated students to attend auditions and explore dance outside of Sussex County. Shaina’s program will include academic studies along with extensive training in ballet, pointe and contemporary dance.