Retirement residents of The Maples Home for Seniors experienced the arts as never seen before in Tavistock. Professional ballet dancer Angel Jutzi, currently living in Kelowna, British Columbia, performed two dances in the dining hall of the residence on Friday afternoon, January 8, 2010.

Resident Ruth Wettlaufer, 93, said it was the first time she can recall that ballet was performed in Tavistock. "Aren't we proud," she said offering her thanks to Angel for the "lovely dance."

Angel came up with the idea to perform as a way to give back to those who have supported her over the years of training and school work, especially her grandfather David H. Jutzi who is a resident at The Maples. The daughter of Dean and Brenda Jutzi of Baden, Angel never had the chance to perform for her grandparents since turning professional about six years ago. Both grandparents on her mother's side passed away more than 10 years ago and grandmother Frieda Jutzi just last month.

The music Angel performed to in her improvisational piece was a Johnny Cash ballad entitled, "Meet me in Heaven."

"This dance is dedicated to what grandma and grandpa shared together," she said. Improvisation, she explained, is when a dancer feeds off energy from the people who are in the room. Inspired by the intimate setting of the room's window-lit hardwood floor, Angel said, "I will never be able to re-create this dance again. It is created in this moment we are sharing."

Her first dance was a choreographed number from one of her Kelowna performances with original music by close friend, singer Anna Jacyszyn, entitled "In touch with my muse." Angel wore a pink top and white tutu complementing her pink-coloured hair, achieved, she explained to the ladies present, by using a colour booster.

The dining hall was filled with residents, friends and several family members who wanted to share in this unique moment. And none were disappointed. The grace and movement of Angel's body, stylishly paired with words and music, captivated everyone. "Movement and dance is timeless," Angel explained, and she offered her gratitude for the time they shared, and on such short notice.

Angel began dancing at the age of three with Centre Stage Dance Studio in New Hamburg. Under the instruction of Donna Bender and Michelle Harlock she studied jazz and tap before adding ballet studies at the age of seven. She attended public school in Baden and at 10 years of age was accepted into the National Ballet School in Toronto where she studied for 4 years. While there Angel studied ballet, character, modern and Chinese folk dancing. She had the honour of being taught by some of the finest dancers in the world including Carol Chadwick, Mavis Staines, Laurel Toto, Peggy Baker, Deborah Bowes, Rosalie Brake, Carina Bomers, Eva Draw, and Deborah Hess.

She returned home to attend Waterloo-Oxford District Secondary School and continued to dance with Centre Stage Dance Studio, immersing herself in many styles of dance. Throughout her high school years she competed in numerous competitions in Canada and the United States winning many awards and scholarships. In 2000 Angel was honoured as Dance Spirit Magazine's "Future Star Award" after competing at the Starbound competition in Atlantic City, New Jersey. In 2001 Angel was honoured with the Nesta Toumine Memorial Award for "outstanding technical merit and exceptional artistic development in the Vaganova style."

She attended Ryerson University's Dance Degree program in Toronto for one year before enrolling in The Mentorship Program with Ballet British Columbia from September 2003 to June 2004. There she studied intensively with Marquita Lester and had the joy of working with Lina Fitzner, Helen Walkley, Acacia Schacte and Mark Godden.

During that time, Angel answered an open audition call with Ballet Kelowna, then returned home to Ontario. To her surprise, she received a call from Ballet Kelowna who wanted her to start in 3 weeks. She found an apartment online, then flew to Kelowna where she spent the four seasons with the company. The classically-based company performed in the Kelowna Community Theatre and on tour with 60 to 80 performances each year. With only six members, three men and three women, she also did some costuming and acted as wardrobe mistress for the company.

While in Kelowna, Angel was privileged to work with Brian MacDonald, Annette AvPaul, Simone Orlando, Joe Laughlin, D.A. Hoskins, and Josh Beamish and premiered four original Canadian works. She has also performed and premiered many original works by Ballet Kelowna's Artistic Director David LaHay. Some of her most notable work with Ballet Kelowna includes D.A. Hoskins "Affairs of the Heart" in which she premiered the leading role, the Don Quixote Pas de Deux, Black Swan Pas de Deux and Star-Crossed Pas de Deux by internationally respected and renowned Brian MacDonald.

"They loved me there," Angel said of her welcoming experience with Ballet Kelowna, so it was difficult to say goodbye to the friends, supporters and co-workers there when she resigned from the company at the end of the 2008 season. She joined a privately-funded Mission Dance Company as a soloist and was honoured to be commissioned by the company to create her first choreographic work for a professional company and premiered it at the company's 2008 performance, "Dance Fortissimo," at the Kelowna Community Theatre. Angel also taught jazz classes at the Canadian School of Ballet for children age 10-17 as well as teaching drop-in ballet, jazz and lyrical classes at Oranj Dance & Fitness.

In 2009, Angel and fiancé Keith Middaugh, travelled to Europe where she auditioned for several dance companies in Germany. Just before leaving for Europe Angel received a call from Josh Beamish who started his own Vancouver-based dance company called Move: The Company. He asked her to come to Vancouver to perform in "The Electronic Series," a highly physical, urban-contemporary-ballet fusion work set entirely to electronic music. She had two days to learn the show with the company after returning to Canada before the first performance. Following that successful series, Angel was offered a contract with the company for the 2009-10 season. About 15 to 18 dancers constitute the company and "I'm the token ballerina," she says of her position there.

After touring Europe and in comparison, seeing the shortage of dancers here at home, she is content to work on native soil. "Someone has to stay and fight for the arts in Canada," she said.

Following her performance at The Maples in Tavistock, Angel was asked if her toes get sore. After 16 years of dancing in point shoes, "I've lost a bit of feeling in my toes," she says, "and a lot of toenails," but "they don't get sore anymore." Maples residents seemed more than excited about Angel's performance experience and it's something this audience won't soon forget.