Sam Doree, 11, poses at Nuance Dance Studios in downtown Kamloops on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019. Doree has been accepted to the Royal Winnipeg Ballet summer program.

(KAREN EDWARDS / iNFOnews.ca)

KAMLOOPS — There aren't many male dancers at Nuance Dance Studio in Kamloops, but that isn't stopping 11-year-old Sam Doree from his goal of becoming a professional ballet dancer.

"I have been dancing my entire life, I love dancing it makes me happy," Sam says. 

Sam started dancing when he was three years old, according to his mom Tracy. He was introduced to ballet through his mom who is a contract dance instructor at several studios across the city. The Grade 6 student auditioned back in October 2018 for a spot at the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School. Royal Winnipeg Ballet is one of the oldest dance companies operating in North America and he was chosen out of several kids from all over Canada for a spot in their summer ballet camp.

Now that Sam has been accepted, he has to train and put all his energy into ballet so must stop playing sports he has been playing his whole life, like hockey. He dances and plays hockey every day except for one day of the week.

"I have been playing hockey since I was four," he says.

The young dancer says he will have to stop training for hockey in order to become stronger in ballet.

Nuance Dance Studio owner and ballet instructor, Regina Bittner-Rothbart, fixes Sam's arms for a ballet position on Wednesday, Jan. 23, 2019.

(KAREN EDWARDS / iNFOnews.ca)

"(Hockey) creates different muscles in your body," Sam says. "If I wanted to work up to be a good hockey player I would have those muscles so I have to kind of step back from that and concentrate so I don't get any other things in the way."

Sam says it isn't going to be easy to give up hockey.

"I have been doing ballet and hockey my whole life and they both make me happy and calm," he says. "I have fun doing them both."

Sam's ballet instructor and Nuance Dance Studio owner, Regina Bittner-Rothbart, says the ballet school will be a great opportunity for Sam to see other male dancers.

"I thought Sam might enjoy the challenge of seeing other young men dancing," she says. "In our studio, there aren't many young men and he works hard and he's smart, and I want to inspire him to become a dancer."

Bittner-Rothbart was the one who originally brought up the idea of the Royal Winnipeg Ballet School to Sam.

Sam's tuition and residence fees for the summer program is approximately $3,000. He's received a partial grant from the school and through the Canadian Tire Jumpstart Foundation to help with the costs. His mom has also set up a GoFundMePage to help with the remaining costs including travel expenses.

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