Two talented Qualicum Beach students, Nigella Kinnear, 15, and July Bugg, 12, are headed to the Canada West Performing Arts Festival in Saskatoon.
The event will be staged at the University of Saskatchewan from July 24 to July 26. They will represent the Mid Island Festival in the category of Speech and Dramatic Arts.
Both girls earned first place in their categories at the local Mid Island Festival and advanced to the B.C. championships in June in Victoria. Their performances in poetry recitation, monologue, prose and Shakespeare showcased an impressive range of acting and vocal skill.
Teacher Jennifer Kelly, who teaches acting, musical theatre, and speech and dramatic arts, noted local audiences may recognize the girls from performances at the Village Theatre.
Nigella recently starred as Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz with the Qualicum Beach School of Dance, while July took to the stage in Mean Girls with ECHO Players.
Both the Qualicum Beach School of Dance and ECHO Players are extremely proud of Nigella and July’s outstanding accomplishments.
Kelly, who has been teaching performing arts for more than 20 years, describes speech and dramatic arts as a transformative discipline that builds confidence, enhances vocal and physical expression and refines performance technique in public speaking and acting.
Kelly is also incredibly proud of Nigella and July’s dedication, and will travel with them to Saskatoon to support their performances.
