Come be inspired! April boasts three weekends of events that showcase North State dancers and choreographers in performances at three locations: On April 5 and 6, Keeping Dance Alive! at Laxson Auditorium in Chico; on April 19 and 20, Rhythm ‘n Motion Dance Show at Paradise Performing Arts Center; and on April 26 and 27, Shasta College Dance Festival at Shasta College Theater in Redding.
[sws_blockquote align=”” alignment=”alignleft” cite=”” quotestyles=”style01″]”Dance is the loftiest, the most moving, the most beautiful of the arts, because it is no mere translation or abstraction from life; it is life itself.” -Havelock Ellis [/sws_blockquote]
Keeping Dance Alive! is presented by Chico Community Ballet and Chico Performances. This much-loved annual event, now in its 22nd year, celebrates the diversity of dance through showcasing talented local dancers ages 6 to 25 in a repertory concert featuring a full spectrum of dance styles.
This year’s line-up of choreographers includes guest choreographer Kenneth Walker from Lauridsen Ballet Center, the official school of South Bay Ballet. Walker presents a ballet titled “Dream Time,” which he describes as “an abstraction of that moment between asleep and awake.” Seven local choreographers present a range of genres from hip-hop to musical theatre, along with a collaborative piece choreographed by dancers of Chico Community Ballet.
Group performances include Origin dance troupe’s belly dance piece “Tribalesque,” an Irish step group performing Celtic pieces, and Momentum dance group performing a jazz piece.
Keeping Dance Alive! is high-energy performance that will have your whole family dancing in their seats. Held at CSU, Chico’s Laxon Auditorium on April 5 at 7:30pm and April 6 at 2pm. Tickets are $14-$18. For information visit
http://www.chicoperformances.com, or call (530) 898-6333.
[sws_blockquote align=”” alignment=”alignleft” cite=”” quotestyles=”style01″] “On with the dance! Let the joy be unconfined!” -Lord Byron [/sws_blockquote]
In Paradise, the Rhythm ‘n Motion Dance Show is presented by the Paradise Dancers. This entertaining 11th annual event offers 28 vaudeville-type acts, all themed around various styles of dance including ballroom, jazz, hip-hop … and special black light performances.
The show is produced by local teens, with a cast of about 80 performers ranging in age from tweens through adults. Director Don Wolheim speaks with pride, “I’m especially excited about the way the kids take a hold of something, create it, and put it on stage. It’s not just the fact that they can gather their thoughts, choreograph, recruit and work with dancers, create costuming and more; what’s most exciting is that the experience empowers them and is something they will look back on for a lifetime.”
In existence since 1998, the Paradise Dancers have graduated close to 1,500 dancers from their studio, with all programs for teens being completely free. The Rhythm ‘n Motion Dance Show is Paradise Dancer’s largest fundraiser of the year, held at Paradise Performing Arts Center, which Wolheim describes as “one of the most comfortable theaters to sit in; the lighting and sound are wonderful, making for a great experience.” Bring the whole family to have fun while supporting a great after-school program. Shows are April 19 at 7pm, and April 20 at 2pm and 7pm. Tickets are $10-$17. For information call
(530) 877-9771.
[sws_blockquote align=”” alignment=”alignleft” cite=”” quotestyles=”style01″] “There are short cuts to happiness, and dancing is one of them.” -Vicki Baum [/sws_blockquote]
The spring Shasta College Dance Festival in Redding is another exciting annual dance showcase that celebrates the art of dance and the creative spirit.
The festival is a collaboration of choreographers and dancers from Shasta College dance classes, the Shasta College Dance Club, and guests from Redding City Ballet and the community. It features enlivening original performance pieces reflecting a wide variety of dance genres and styles, including jazz, tap, hip-hop, modern dance and ballet.
The whole family is invited to witness performances of talented and dedicated young artists that will inspire the dancer in all of us. Shasta College Dance Festival is being held at the Shasta College Theatre on April 26 at 7:30pm, and April 27 at 2pm and 7:30pm. Tickets are $5-$7. For information: visit http://www.shastacollege.edu, or call (530) 242-7730.
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