Monday, August 31, 2009

Samantha Depatie opens school of fiddle & stepdance

By Robert Palangio
BayToday.ca
Sunday, August 30, 2009
For the nearly 14 years, Chad's School of Fiddle and Stepdance has brought a great Canadian tradition to North Bay and area and has contributed to many local events and charities. Now, Samantha Depatie, a former student of Chad's, is opening a school of her own as Chad makes a permanent move to Ottawa. The new school is called Samantha's Fiddle and Stepdance School snd also has a new location: 141-D Golf Club Road which is across from St. Mary's Cemetery.

Samantha was a student of Chad's for 11 years, worked first as an instructor and then managed the school for Chad when he began to make the transition towards Ottawa. Samantha is very excited to continue the great tradition of fiddling and stepdancing in North Bay and continues to teach the original students from Chad's.

Fiddle and stepdance has been in this area long before Chad's or Samantha's schools ever opened. With the Scottish, Irish, French Canadian and Metis heritage so strong in the area, there is a long tradition of these arts and they are truly Canadian in the sense that any person of any background can enjoy them. Stepdancing is also an effective (and fun!) form of exercise and definitely gets the blood flowing. And this form of dance is not just for the girls; guys can also enjoy stepdancing and many of the best stepdancers in Canada are male!

In the school's new location on Golf Club Road, Samantha is preparing to welcome current and new students for the September session. She is offering fiddle and stepdance lessons for anyone ages 4 and older and is willing to work around her students' schedules to find a class time that is convenient.

The September session begins after Labour Day and registrations will be accepted until September 7th. The class sizes are limited to ensure that Samantha and her instructors can give you the most out of your lesson. And it's not just for kids! Adults are more than welcome and you can even take lessons with your child if you wish.

You can register for a trial month of lessons today by calling 474-7982 or emailing Samantha.

For those who would like to check out the new location or see for themselves what the school has to offer, Samantha will be hosting an open house at the school on Saturday, September 5th from 1-3 p.m. All are welcome to check out the location and see the instructors and some of their students demonstrate their talents.

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