After going viral on social media, former competitive skater Elladj Baldé and choreographer Michelle Dawley have made it their mission to advocate for increased mental health support, representation and creative expression in figure skating. Led by these values, Baldé and Dawley created The Art of Performance training camp, which creates space for skaters to tap into their performance artistry and provides them with tools to navigate competitive figure skating.  

Baldé and Dawley were inspired by their own experiences in competitive sport. They shared that the camp was based on “taking experiences that we’ve had in our own lives and thinking about what we wish we would have had when we were younger, growing up in our respective fields.”  

Photo Credit: @prairiewestcreative

Over the four-day long camp, skaters get the opportunity to attend a variety of training sessions aimed at developing all areas of their performances, including small details like hand movements or eye contact. They are encouraged to connect each movement through creative storytelling – a process that the camp believes improves skaters’ overall performance. “It gives you an advantage where you feel so much more grounded in your experience and in what you are doing on the ice” Baldé explained. 

The camp’s faculty features former competitive skaters and renowned coaches, each bringing a unique perspective on figure skating. For each year’s camp, they choose individuals who achieved technical success while also committing to a distinct type of artistry throughout their careers. Fostering this ‘beautiful balance’ of technique and creative expression is the camp’s main objective.  

Photo Credit: Ben Desjardins

Non-technical sessions build space for athletes and faculty to be vulnerable with sharing the experiences they have faced. Baldé stated that this makes athletes feel less alone as they navigate competitive sport.  “We go through a lot of difficult challenges and often times when you watch successful skaters on TV you don’t think that they’re going through the same things that you go through.”  

In the two years that The Art of Performance has run, over 180 skaters have attended, including national champions Madeline Schizas and Nam Nguyen. Athletes aged 10 to 70 have traveled from across Canada and internationally to attend, making the camp diverse with skaters from all backgrounds. “What we want to see at our camp is a diverse range of skaters and faces. We’re really passionate about this component and working hard to make it accessible” said Baldé. 

Baldé and Dawley acknowledge the barriers that exist in competitive skating including significant financial costs associated with the sport. To help mitigate this, the camp offers financial aid, allowing skaters to attend for a reduced cost. 

The third edition of the Art of Performance camp will be held May 15-18 at the Seven Chiefs Sportsplex in Calgary, Alberta. Visit The Art of Performance website to learn more and to register.