Canadian ballet legend Frank Augustyn spends the week at the Rothesay Ballet School

Six ballet dancers at the Rothesay Ballet School in Rothesay, N.B., had the chance of a lifetime this past week.

“It’s been crazy,” says 18-year-old ballet dancer Julianna Porier. “We’ve worked really hard, we’ve been sore a lot and I feel like we’ve gained an experience we’ll never forget.”

Porier is referring to having Canadian ballet legend Frank Augustyn join the class as an instructor.

Augustyn was the National Ballet of Canada’s principal dancer from 1972 to 1989, and has performed around the globe.

“The time went by really really fast,” says Augustyn. “And I thoroughly enjoyed working with the dancers.”

In the mornings Augustyn would teach sessions on the ballet barre, among other areas, while the afternoon consisted of learning a new performance choreographed by Augustyn. The dancers had a chance to show case their dance Friday afternoon in front of family.

Augustyn admits he was impressed by the level of skill the dancers have learned from the Rothesay school.

“They teach the foundational work of ballet which is really the underpinnings of all dance,” Augustyn says. “And it’s not always easy to do, to teach that kind of training to a very young child.”

This marks the second time the ballet legend has come to instruct at the Rothesay academy. Ballet school artistic director Corissa Arseneau was a student the last time Augustyn came to the school over a decade ago.

“I can remember how excited so I was very excited to get him to come back,” Arseneau says.

“They’ve been excited,” says Arseneau in regards to the current generation of dancers learning under Augustyn. “And yeah [they’ve] been a little intimidated, but they have stepped up to the challenge and they’ve been doing very very well.”

14-year-old dancer Ally Trask says the lessons have been on point.

“We’ve learned just so much it’s unreal,” Trask says. “You can always improve and work harder.”

Augustyn says it’s important for him to help share his knowledge with the younger generation, just as those before did for him.

“I hope in my way, to give that back and pass it along,” says Augustyn. “Hand over the torch and let them go with it, let them run with it and get better, be better.”

The school already has plans to bring Augustyn back in the future for further instruction.

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