We talk a lot about the CVDA family, as every dancer can find a sense of belonging here. But did you know about all the families who have more than one dancer at Chehalem Valley Dance Academy? That’s right. There are 49 sets of siblings who dance at both Newberg and McMinnville studios. Over the years we have seen MANY sibling sets including many of our instructors! Miss Karley and her big sister Tenley, Miss Courtney and her younger brother Ryan, Miss Lauren and her younger sister Paige, and Miss Bridget and her younger brother Cooper!
Vada and Riley love PC
From the parent perspective, there are lots of advantages to having both kids dancing at CVDA. “It’s great they can tumble and dance together at home. And the extended family loves to watch them in the Showcase,” noted Beth Wytoski. She started her daughters Amelia, age 8, and Allison, age 5, in dance because she was seeking movement-based activity that could teach them self-discipline.
Suzanne Duerr, mom to Brigitte, age 10, and Trillium, age 8, says she likes how she can encourage both of them and witness their improvement. They support each other, too. “I have someone that I know I can talk to (who will understand),” says Trillium.
The Duerr Sisters in the Nutcracker 2017
Sometimes the siblings are in the same class, but sometimes not. Juggling the schedule can be a challenge, but if your older sibling can drive the younger one, as is the case for Anna-Claire, age 17, and Margaret Bowman, age 12, that definitely helps.
Oftentimes a younger sibling wants to join because they’ve been inspired by watching the older sibling, and waited to be old enough to join. This was the case for the Hernandez sisters. Evelyn says that her sister Sophia “loves seeing me dance and wants to mimic what I do.”
Vada, Stella, and Riley