It's magic time again as the Footlight Dance Centre presents its annual spring dance extravaganza. This year, 180 dance students, performing all the dance genres from modern, jazz and ballet to tap and hip-hop, will stage "Cinderella."
Based on the classic fairytale by Charles Perrault, the dance was first produced in 1945 by the Bolshoi Ballet in Russia. The music is by Sergei Prokofiev.
"This is not the Disney version most children grew up with, which is very lush and upbeat," Footlight Dance Center Director Hilarie Neely said. "This is the traditional music. It was written during the war, so there's a lot of darkness and mystery, which is true when you delve into the story.
"The reality of 'Cinderella' is that there are deep family issues. The stepsisters are overbearing and cruel. Her mother has died. But in the end Cinderella is such a kind soul. It triumphs. Dreams can come true. When Cinderella comes back, the music is so beautifully stunning. When you hear that, you're blown away by the beauty and simplicity of her scene. It's fun to work on because it's so different."
Cinderella will be played by Wood River High School junior Emily Slike. Her stepsisters are WRHS seniors Ashley Boand and Solee Uranga. Sophia Blunt will play the Fairy Godmother and the remainder of the Senior Company dancers, Sierra Brand, Brita Gaeddert, Alex Haupt, Dylan Peterson and Lauren Prentice, will play the fairies of spring, summer, fall and winter. The dance master will be played by WRHS senior Esther Garza, and the prince by WRHS junior Ross Clifford.
Under the direction of Neely, the original dances have been choreographed by Footlight instructors Kassidy Bruce, Shellrae Garnes, Esther Garza, Julie-Fox-Jones, Michele Minailo and Anne Winton.
Dancers hail from the whole of Blaine County, as well as from Fairfield, and range in age from 5 years old to high school seniors.
Footlight Dance Centre was founded in 1984 as a professional conservatory environment for dance instruction. It is sponsored in part by the Blaine County Recreation District.
Dance the night away:
Footlight Dancer Centre presents "Cinderella" at 7 p.m. Saturday, May 12, and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 13, at the Community Campus in Hailey.
Tickets are $5 and available at Chapter One Bookstore in Ketchum and Iconoclast Books in Hailey. Ketchum and Iconoclast Books in Hailey.
Photo by Aubrey Stephens
Brita Gaeddert, Esther Garza and Madora Ooms dance in ?Cinderella? this weekend at the Community Campus in Hailey.
