Canberra children will be given a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to dance at Disneyland in California alongside performers from around the world.

Mitchell-based dance school GDANCE Academy is sending 19 dancers, aged six to 16, to the USA this Saturday, 28 September to perform.

GDANCE Academy director Jo McKinley said the dancers were counting down the days in anticipation of their 10-day adventure overseas.

“The older children are very aware of how once-in-a-lifetime this is, so they’re really feeling very grateful and blessed to have the opportunity,” she told CD.

Ms McKinley said the children learnt two dances for the trip.

One was a 24-minute piece she choreographed that incorporated different dance genres that would be performed three times: at Disneyland, Universal Studios Hollywood and at a shopping outlet.

“It’s pop and upbeat and fun,” Ms McKinley said.

She said the second performance at Disneyland, alongside 700 performers from around the world, would be during the Halloween Main Street parade on 5 October.

“They will be dancing behind the characters and the floats,” Ms McKinley said.

“Everyone gets a special Halloween costume. I get to dress up for that one too.”

Ms McKinley said the children would also take part in classes at the Millennium Dance Complex in Hollywood, where performers including Britney Spears, Janet Jackson, Justin Timberlake, Usher, Jennifer Lopez, Christina Aguilera and Beyonce have graced the dance floor.

Ms McKinley said it had been 10 years since she had taken dancers to the US.

More locally, she said the dancers have performed at charity events, school fetes and other events in the Gungahlin region and have invited their mothers and fathers to dance with them at the studio.

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