Footlight Dance Centre to perform an educational tour
By Hayden Seder
“HOPE – Family & Community” is this year’s school enrichment tour program being offered by Footlight Dance Centre from Jan. 23 through Feb. 11.
These free shows will take place at the Sun Valley Community School, Hemingway School, Carey School, Alturas Elementary, Hailey Elementary, Bellevue Elementary and Wood River High School. The Sage School, Silver Creek High School and Syringa Mountain School students will also attend performances at the WRHS Performing Arts Theater.
Fifteen company dancers from WRHS and The Sage School, under the artistic direction of Footlight Dance Centre’s Hilarie Neely, will use a combination of ballet, modern, jazz, hip-hop and tap to discuss hope and its importance within our families and community.
Seniors dancing in this performance are Bryn Downey, Isabella Cronin, Abbie Heaphy, Chloe Henderson, Emelia Morgan, Sophia Schoen, Taylor Telford with Laine Whittier.
In addition to dance, the theme of hope will be explored through the vibrant works of professional batik artist Lisa Kattenbraker from Olympia, Wash. Her images invoke family, the cycle of life and sharing the past and present to ensure a future as one human family.
A narration will accompany these images and dance performances to discuss how the arts bring emotional response and a forum to explore issues with a creative voice. The public is welcome to attend any of the performances free of charge if they call the school and request to attend.
Neely settled on the theme of “hope” for several reasons. Last year’s performance was themed around “diversity” and hope seemed a logical follow-up.
“Hope seemed like a perfect follow-up to diversity with what’s going on in our climate—socially, culturally and politically,” Neely said. “We want everyone to know that the arts are a place that’s safe and can provide a voice of hope and looking toward our future.
“With our country and the world in a state of turmoil, it seems fitting that our 2019 dance performance would discuss ‘HOPE’ from the understanding of this word in the context of our families and community to help us work through our day-to-day stress and the anxiety around us,” Neely said.
By choosing a theme for each year’s educational tour, Neely aspires to fit that theme with what’s pertinent in the school district’s curriculum that year. Bringing the different types of dance of the Western world—ballet, modern, jazz, tap and hip-hop—teaches students that there is more than one type of dance form.
Neely was exposed to the batik art of Kattenbraker this summer at the Sun Valley Center for the Arts arts and crafts fair in August.
“Her images were so engaging and vibrant,” Neely said. “I thought they were just so hopeful. They spoke to me.”
Neely chatted with the artist about using her images in a slideshow for dances and Kattenbraker immediately agreed to collaborate.
“She approaches her work from the basis of family and the roots that we have in order to navigate through life,” Neely said. “Using her images will allow students to see how the arts collaborate and work together to make images and statements about important subject matter.”
School Tour Schedule
WRHS Performing Arts Theater: Jan. 23, 10:15 a.m.
Sage/Silver Creek/Syringa at WRHS Performing Arts Theater: Jan. 30, 9:30 a.m.
SV Community School: Jan. 31, 10:15 a.m.
Hemingway School: Feb. 1, 8:45 a.m.
Alturas Elementary: Feb. 5, 1 p.m.
Bellevue Elementary: Feb. 7, 1:20 p.m.
Hailey Elementary: Feb. 8, 1:30 p.m.
Carey School: Feb. 11, 9:30 a.m.
