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in si de ha lto n. co m O ak vi lle B ea ve r | T hu rs da y, S ep te m be r 5, 20 19 | 38 Suite 300, South Oakville Centre • 1515 Rebecca Street, Oakville 905.827.1100 travel@mctavish.comwww.mctavishtravel.com CORPORATE • GROUP • LEISURE O nt R eg N o 14 37 98 5 Forever Begins In Paradise Whatever your style or your budget our wedding experts can help you create the destination wedding or honeymoon of your dreams. Adventure Wedding, Cruise Wedding, Beach Wedding the possibilities are endless ~ Contact our Wedding Experts for a Free Consultation Or Visit McTavishTravel.com Best Travel Agency 471972-41972-41972- 201920192019 RiveRs of AsiA PResentAtion Guest Speaker: Hektor Kaczuga Monday,sept.9th • 7- 9 pm 77 Bronte Road (Bronte Rd./Lakeshore) R.s.v.P. 289.813.1969 info@furtherafieldtravel.ca RiveRs of AsiA PResentAtion www.furtherafieldtravel.ca Vietnam,Cambodia & The Mekong Incredible India & The Ganges Presentation Specials You're invited to join our Holland America Presentation Featuring our 2020 groups Monte Carlo Inn, Oakville ON 374 South Service Road E., Oakville Please R.S.V.P. Refreshments will be served. 905-338-2077 / 1-800-361-6688 Tuesday September 10th, 2019 2:00pm - 4:00pm Rachel Mortensen, 17, has been dancing with the Oakville School of Classical Ballet since she was three, performing in many of their productions, including The Nutcracker, Paquita, Swan Lake and La Bayadère. In 2017 she participated in her first competition, the "Youth American Grand Prix" in Toronto, and earned a scholarship to dance in New York with The Bolshoi Ballet Academy's summer intensive pro- gram. She then was one of the lucky 55 dancers invited from thousands to dancefrom thousands to dancef with the Bolshoi Ballet in Moscow as a trainee last year. The entire year was like an audition, culminating in exams to obtain one of the coveted contracts in the three-year company ap- prentice program. Mortensen recalls dis- covering she had made the cut, "After the exams they posted a list in our dorms with all the names of the dancers who were invited back for the three years. I was walking to the metro to meet my parents, because it was the end of the year and I was going home. I got a pic- ture of the list from my friends on my phone, andfriends on my phone, andf honestly, I just started cry- ing." She smiles as she recalls, "I was on my own and ev- eryone was looking at me like, what is wrong with this girl! But I was just so happy." What will Mortensen miss about Oakville now that she will be gone for three more years? "I will miss my friends and family the most, top of the list" she replies looking very earnest. Then she smiles to herself "and town wise? The food! Always food. Just knowing whatfood. Just knowing whatf you like and certain brands. I'm a big eater. All dancers actually love eating. It's hard in Russia because we're on meal plans. We don't get out much, it's pret- ty much strictly dancing." Specifically she'll miss her dad's homemade vege- tarian tacos. "I'm super grateful for the Oakville School of Clas- sical Ballet for giving me all the awesome training. I'm super excited to go back to Moscow." TEARS OF JOY FOR DANCER GOING TO RUSSIA NIKKI WESLEY nwesley@metroland.com COMMUNITY RACHEL MORTENSEN, 17, WILL STUDY DANCE IN RUSSIA FOR THE NEXT THREE YEARS Rachel Mortensen has been accepted to the Bolshoi Ballet's 3 year company apprenticeship program in Moscow. Nikki Wesley/Torstar