Dancing twins heading to Prague with Team Canada

Ten-year-old twin sisters from Oakland are proving that hard work pays off.

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Bianca and Mackinley Hansen are heading to Prague – the capital city of the Czech Republic – this summer for an international dance competition.

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The girls, who danced out of the Core Dance Project studio in Paris, ON, auditioned last summer and were accepted to Team Canada.

“We’re excited to go to Prague and represent our country,” said Bianca.

The girls have been dancing since they were two-and-a-half years old, and began competitive dancing at age five.

“We do acro, jazz, ballet, lyrical, contemporary, and hip-hop,” said Biance, adding that they also perform tap and musical theater, though the latter two are not done competitively. “I love acro, jazz, and ballet.”

“I love jazz the best, and also acro and ballet,” noted Mackinley.

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The girls have about 20 dances that they will be performing this year, both at the Paris studio, in local competitions, and with Team Canada.

“In the morning they’ll get up, do a stretch, some conditioning, and then we go straight to running dances, doing five or six in the morning just to keep (the dances) in their heads,” explained their mother Aleesha Hansen . “They auditioned (for Team Canada) for three genres, and as they see you, they can offer you other solos, duets, trios, and small groups.”

The girls began Team Canada choreography last August and attended practices in Toronto on statutory holiday weekends.

“They are expected to go home, know the dances and practice them without the group, so that when they get back together with the group, it’s not a hot mess,” said their father Jeremy Hansen, while Aleesha added that “the large groups have 30 kids, with lifts, so it’s important to know the counts.”

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The girls attend Oakland-Scotland Public School where they are in Grade 4.

“They miss a lot of school but they’re keeping up good,” said their mother. “The teacher has been really good. They know they’re on limited time so they get straight to their work, are very focused, and will stay in at recess to catch up.”

“I want to be on Broadway and acting in shows,” said Mackinley. “I also want to be in Swan Lake when I’m older. That’s my biggest dream.”

Bianca has similar aspirations.

“I want to be a famous dancer on Broadway,” she said. “Juilliard, Joffrey School of Ballet? I’m in!”

The international competition will have the family in Prague from June 26 to July 6, and in preparation the girls practice at home 15 hours per week, plus time at the studio.

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“Dancing and a trip, it’s like the best thing ever,” quipped Bianca.

Their father said when the girls first made the team it was thought they’d have three dances to do, which would allow time to go and explore Prague.

“But it seems like more and more their schedule is going to get really full, and I’m going to be the one doing the exploring most of the time. I’ll get them after and show them around,” Jeremy said.

“We are super proud of them. It’s a big accomplishment,” he shared. “I think they deserve what’s coming to them. They have a lot of responsibility for 10-year-olds. We love seeing them do what they do.”

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