Around Town
NCHS Junior Launches ‘New Canaan Dance Academy Foundation’ [UPDATED]
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Scarlett Stewart, a junior at New Canaan High School, has been involved in competitive dance since she was 11. As part of the New Canaan Dance Academy company, the sport and art form has seen Stewart and fellow dancers practice and rehearse 20-plus hours per week for four major annual events as far away as Boston, New Jersey, Orlando and even abroad. Yet as she progressed, Stewart also noticed something that she found unsettling when competing with companies from some city programs such as those in Bridgeport and Hartford—namely, those dancers were unable to travel as far for competitions or access the same training, classes and costumes. “I just felt if they had more resources, they’d be striving for more in the dance world,” Stewart said. So last fall, she brought an idea to Elaine Young, studio director and founder of NCDA: Launch a nonprofit arm to raise money for gifted dancers who need the help.