(The following article originally appeared in The Huntsville Forester on Feb. 18, 2009.)
By Gillian Brunette
When Sandra Cox isn’t behind the counter at Pharmasave, or working out at the gym, she is doing what she loves best: step-dancing. It is an art form in which she excels.
Little wonder, therefore, that Cox is excited about a show coming to the Algonquin Theatre on Feb. 27. Celtic Blaze stars the incomparable Stephanie Cadman, a top-notch fiddler and step-dancer who has three Canadian titles to her credit.
Cox is immensely proud of Cadman, who is not only her second cousin, but also one of her early step-dancing protégées. “Her mother and my father are cousins and that side of my family has always been into fiddling, step-dancing and singing in a big way. We were always together for reunions,” she said.
Cox grew up in Deep River, and then moved to Manotick at the age of 16. “By that time, I’d been dancing all over the province in competitions. There are step-dancing competitions all over Ontario, but mainly in the Ottawa Valley, so Dad and I did that every weekend,” she said.
At the age of 10, Cox was dancing with the Leahy sisters and their brother Donnell. “The older Leahy was a fiddler in one of my dancing contests. It was a very small world in those days. Nobody was famous yet,” she said.
When Cadman started her dancing lessons, she was three and Cox was 16. Along with several other students, Cox conducted the lessons from the basement of her home. “When Stephanie came to me, she was very impressive, the most talented three-year-old I’d ever seen. I knew at that point that one day she’d be something.”
Cox instructed Cadman for three years before leaving to study pharmacology. Cadman continued dancing and winning every competition she entered. “Now, she travels all over the States and Canada with Bowfire. She’s incredible.”
Cadman and her accompanists are Celtic Blaze, a fast-paced show featuring a contemporary take on Canada’s music and dance heritage. Told through music, dance, song and storytelling, the show features Ottawa Valley step-dancing, classical and Celtic fiddling, tap, jazz, and musical theatre.
Cadman has been performing since the age of four, delighting audiences with her Celtic fiddling and dazzling footwork. At the age of 17, she won the top female tap-dancing award at the World Tap Dance Championships in Germany. She has also won three Canadian step-dancing titles.
Cadman has appeared as a dance soloist and Celtic fiddler with the National Arts Centre Orchestra, the Edmonton, Milwaukee, Indianapolis, Seattle and Portland symphony orchestras, as well as the Kennedy Centre’s National Symphony Orchestra. She has also participated in a Canadian Forces tour, where she performed for the troops at several bases in the Middle East.
As well, Cadman appeared as a lead in Swing-step, combining her considerable talents as an actor, dancer, singer and fiddler, and then went on to perform in the Celtic review Needfire with the Broadway National Tour of 42nd Street. She also appeared in Anne of Green Gables and Canada Rocks at the Charlottetown Festival.
When not performing with Celtic Blaze, Cadman is a principal violinist and dancer with the internationally acclaimed Bowfire show, which features 10 of the top violinists in the country and tours the U.S. most of the year. She also tours with the Celtic dance show The Step-Crew throughout Canada and the U.S.
“While I can’t take credit for what Stephanie has achieved, I feel proud I had the opportunity to start her on the path to success,” said Cox. Meanwhile, Cox continues to dance and teach privately. “I still dance with Chuck Joyce, who is one of the best fiddlers in Canada and a Canadian champion. I step-dance and play piano for him. We do a show in London, Ontario, each year. I’m also practicing with (Canadian performer) Marion Linton and we are hoping to put a show together.”
Tickets for Celtic Blaze are $28 for adults and $15 for youth under 18 and are available at the box office on Main Street, by dialing 789-4975, or online through the Huntsville Festival of the Arts website at www.huntsvillefestival.on.ca. To get a taste of Cadman’s talents visit her website at www.stephaniecadman.com.
