Footlight Dance students participated in recent show at Argyros
By DANA DUGAN
A rare dance performance in early January marked the second collaboration between the Argyros Performing Arts Center and American Ballet Theatre principal dancer Isabela Boylston.
Born in Sun Valley, Boylston began dancing with Footlight Dance Centre. Over the past several years, she has returned twice to present dance performances at the Sun Valley Pavilion, and last winter at The Argyros. Then, as now, fellow ABT dancers Calvin Royal III and James Whiteside came along. Young dancers from Footlight Dance Centre also danced in the performance.
“When Isabella was coming to do another show, she called me and said this is my vision for my next show at The Argyros,” said Hilarie Neely, director of Footlight Dance. “She asked if we’d like to be a part of it? It was so sweet. That’s the kind of person she is. We were part of the entire production. Her vision was to have kids involved so the audience could see how you start at a young age and keep working, and if that’s what your passion is, you continue.”
Ultimately, it handily revealed the long and often arduous progression from school to professional.
Because each year advanced Footlight dancers tour schools with what are known as Lecture Demonstrations, they already had a ballet piece ready to go, about migratory birds.
“Meanwhile, Isabella was putting together live music, and the dance, for her and her friends, Calvin Royal and James Whiteside, who’re both with ABT, too,” Neely explained.
The mixed holiday program was accompanied by Michael Scales, a pianist with ABT, and the young singer, Kenton Chen.
“It was so beautiful,” Neely said. “He sang a few pieces, each unique and lovely.”
The Footlight dancers performed in two pieces; the younger students danced to a holiday piece, “Carol of the Bells,” and the advanced girls danced to the classical “Holberg Suites” prelude by E. Greig, both of which were choreographed by Neely.
“It was a beautiful performance, the audience went gaga,” Neely said. “The variety was perfect. Everything about the four days was so positive and giving.”
