About Us
Established in 1999
The sport of Canine Musical Freestyle originated in the Lower Mainland and is now popular around the world.
In the spring of 1999 Ray Underwood offered musical freestyle lessons in his obedience studio, Underwoods Dog Obedience, located in Langley, British Columbia, Canada. Several teams signed up for the eight-week course. Near the end of the course it was decided as a group to form Paws 2 Dance. The club held its first competition in 2000 under the umbrella of the World Canine Freestyle Organization (WCFO).
Since then, the club has branched out on its own, holding at least one Lower Mainland competition each year and supporting competitions in affiliate clubs. Membership in Paws 2 Dance grew to include members in the Lower Mainland, interior BC, Vancouver Island, Washington State and Oregon. In 2009, the Club incorporated as a BC Non-Profit Society.
By far, the greatest energies of the club are directed toward Public performances. Very early on, it became apparent that Paws 2 Dance put on a unique and engaging show. Soon, organizations such as the SPCA, WAG and Critter Care Wildlife Rescue were requesting Demonstrations at their fundraisers. The Lower Mainland Dog Fancier’s Association invited members of the Club to provide noon hour entertainment at their annual International dog show held at the TradeX in Abbottsford. The TradeX performances were an instant hit with the public! Paws 2 Dance has performed at the Cloverdale Rodeo, countless Fall fairs both in BC and Washington, and has given workshops in Kelowna and Courtenay, BC. Members of the Club can often be seen performing at various Senior’s Facilities Community Centres as well.
In 2010, Paws 2 Dance presented ‘Escape the Darkness’, a full length theatrical production at the Bell Centre for the Performing Arts in Surrey BC.
It was followed in 2012 with a production of ‘Shadows of Eternity’, an Egyptian themed presentation, also held at the Bell Centre
But, what is it?
Canine Musical Freestyle
Imagine moving across the floor in time with the music, interpreting the music with your steps, body movements, and hand positions. Now, add a dog weaving between your legs, spinning in unison with you, circling you – essentially helping you tell a story with the music. That’s what canine musical freestyle is all about.
Handlers teach dogs a repertoire of movements and choreograph routines using those movements. The range of moves is limitless. Dogs can be crawling, on all fours or up on their hind legs. They can move with or apart from the handler, forward, backward, or sideways. They can spin, roll, or jump. They can do paw tricks or strike interesting poses. They can even use props. Anything goes as long as the move is not dangerous to the dog.
In competitions, divisions range from beginner levels to master, and the dog and handler are judged equally. At each successive level, the routine is expected to have more technical difficulty and increased artistic impression.
Heelwork to Music
This discipline, which emphasizes quality heeling, was developed by Paws 2 Dance as an adjunct to freestyle to improve the quality of dog movement. It has proven very popular with members who enjoy heeling or who may not be as comfortable with dancing. Recently, pair and team divisions have been added and they, too, have become very popular.
At each successive level, dogs are required to execute progressively more difficult moves – for example, heeling backward, sideways, in a pivot, or on the right side. Regardless of the element, the emphasis is always on precise, quality heeling.
The creativity comes in choreographing routines that cover the floor with interesting patterns, that use a variety of speeds and dog positions, and that utilize the changes and highlights in the music. Freestyle moves such as weaves are used only as transitions moves – for example, to move the dog from one side of the handler to the other.