Clinton News Record, 2016-07-06, Page 3Clinton resident Dawson Handy
cast onto popular television show
Justine Alkema
Clinton News Record
Clinton resident Dawson
Handy has been dancing
since he was 10 years old. The
now 17 year-old's hard work
and perseverance is paying off
as he has been cast onto sea-
son five of Family Channel's
hit tween drama, The Next
Step.
At a younger age, Handy
was torn between hockey and
dance. He chose dance and
quickly excelled. He danced at
Dance Techniques in Clinton,
and only two years into his
dancing career he was asked
to join the competitive team.
Eventually, Dawson was
accepted onto the Canadian
national hip hop team. He
went to Italy to compete with
that team for a week in
October.
That trip only increased
Handy's love for hip hop. When
he saw that The Next Step had
put out an open casting call on
Facebook for season four's cast,
he decided to apply. He didn't
get on the show that time
around, but he did get into the
deCosta talent agency in
Toronto.
This agency sent him to the
season five audition, and he
got in. He is playing a charac-
ter named Josh in the upcom-
ing season, which is slated to
include 20 episodes and pre-
miere in 2017.
The show follows the lives
of an elite group of dancers
that train at The Next Step stu-
dio; in season five, Josh, along
with some other new charac-
ters join this group. The show
has become a worldwide phe-
nomenon, sparking three
Canadian tours, international
tours through Europe, the UK
and Australia, a feature film
and spin-off series.
When the News Record
caught up with Josh, he was a
couple weeks into shooting
the season, and things were
going very well.
"It's a huge dream of mine
to be on the show and work-
ing with likeminded people
with discipline and passion
for the same sport as myself is
an amazing experience," said
Handy. "It's amazing being
with the crew and cast.
They're very supportive. It's a
very good vibe."
Acting is new for Handy,
and it's not something he
would have necessarily fore-
seen. However after the first
couple weeks, he was really
enjoying it. He said there is
always a coach on set to help
the actors and actresses with
their scenes and characters,
so that helps.
Dawson, who is in grade 11,
goes to school in Clinton. He
recently moved to Toronto to
shoot the season, and he had
to finish up a couple of his
exams at the school on set in
Toronto in the beginning of
June when he moved there.
Dawson said that the sup-
port he received from the
Clinton community was cru-
cial in getting him to where he
is today. In order to go to Italy
in October, many local busi-
nesses and residents spon-
sored him.
"I want the town to know
that if I didn't have their sup-
port getting on the Canadian
hip hop team, it definitely
would have been a lot harder,
so I am really appreciative of
that," he said.
As for the future, Handy
commented, `After The Next
Step, I'm willing to take on
opportunities that comes my
way. But right now I'm defi-
nitely enjoying the experience
of being on the show and I'm
enjoying the moment:'
Sharin9 ofir
Healthier
Futu r T,
oto
PilimaParaiilil
Photo courtesy of Steve Scott
Dawson Handy (Josh) and Milaina Robinson (Zara) shooting a scene of The Next Step
season five.
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Wednesday, July 6, 2016 • News Record 3
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Fan favourite Cracklin Rosie delivered
another flawless performance over the
Clinton Raceway oval on Sunday to
sweep the $63,400 Kin Pace Final in a
stakes record time.
Starting from Post 3 with Guelph,
Ont. resident Doug McNair in the race
bike, Cracklin Rosie watched from
mid -pack as second choice Rosy
Outlook (James MacDonald) fired out
to a :28.3 opening quarter. Once the
fillies had sorted themselves out on the
front, McNair sent Cracklin Rosie after
the lead and the Badlands Hanover
daughter controlled the tempo through
the rest of the mile, ringing up a :57.2
half and a 1:26 three-quarters on
her way to the 1:55 win. Elimination
winner Killean Finale (Jason Ryan)
closed well to be second and early
pacesetter Rosy Outlook finished third.
The Kin Pace win capped off a
five -win performance for McNair as
the reinsman captured half the card,
including a sweep of the last three
races.
The track side fundraiser for Epilepsy
and the Boyd Devereaux Scholarship
Fund raised just over $1500, enough to
award three families in the area each
with a $500 scholarship.
Live racing continues this Sunday with
a trackside fundraiser for Clinton Minor
Baseball, post time 1:30pm
Live 11U Sumner tong
1i; i'!
CLINTON MINOR
BASEBALL
Vag at the Waco
w -_
SUNDAYJULY10 2016
Silent Auction
2 tickets anywhere Air Canada Flies!
TRACK SIDE BBQ & 50/50
stisrA
147 Beech St.
519.482.1678
clintonraceway.com
CLINTON
raceway