Dancers to hold fundraiser for TCCA
The TCDA dancers will present a version of the Peter Pan ballet during the studio's annual Explore the Arts Weekend in April. Pictured are Sierra Minard, kneeling left, Alyvia McGraw, Elle Baughman, Ellen Smith, Ella Engstrom; back row, Lydia Dummermuth, Sydney Hilton, Laney Lanzer and Lydia Warfield.
At the annual Explore the Arts Weekend held by the Tuscarawas County Dance Arts Studio, the public will be treated to a variety of dance performances in April.
On Friday, April 4, the students will hold an event at the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts with proceeds from that show going to the TCCA. The nonprofit TCCA provides a home for artistic classes and groups in Tuscarawas County and for hosting a variety of art shows and events throughout the year.
On Saturday, April 5, the TCDA students will host more dancing and a Peter Pan ballet show at the Ohio Star Theater, 1387 Old OH-39, Sugarcreek.
Some of the pieces that will be presented were first debuted at a festival in Mansfield.
“We take a couple of pieces, a hip-hop piece and a modern piece there, so then we bring them to the Center for the Arts to be able to showcase those in our community here,” Lee Beitzel said. “We also typically do a live music piece where our junior and senior dancers will be doing a dance to live music that they’ve never heard before. They will have to feed off each other. And it’s the first and only time that that piece will ever be performed that way.”
They also will have work from Ohio artists featured and for sale at the event. These pieces will include ceramics and pottery, graphic arts, and photography. A portion of the sales will go to the TCCA, as will ticket sales for the event.
TCDA is grateful to the TCCA and its Director Jeanine Kennedy, who helped make their shows there successful.
At the Saturday show, the group will present an encore of some of the Friday night pieces.
“We will be performing some of those same works again, but then we also expand the show to about an hourlong Peter Pan ballet,” Beitzel said.
The Peter Pan ballet will feature the TCDA’s main company and apprentice company members who are ballet students, as well as some of the younger students who are just below those levels.
Beitzel called the Peter Pan show adorable. Both shows will feature live musicians.
“It’s an exciting weekend for our dancers,” Beitzel said. “It’s great to be able to take their skills and do something with them in a performance aspect, to have another performance opportunity, and to be involved with their community and showcase their talents and hard work. It’s a pretty positive experience for everybody.”
The students started four- to five-hour rehearsals in January on Sunday afternoons with all the different pieces in the Peter Pan show.
“They are really committed whenever they choose to do these performances,” Beitzel said.
Some of the students performing have 15-16 years of dance experience.
Beitzel invites everyone to attend the shows, especially the Friday night show, to help the TCCA.
“We’d love more community involvement. We’d love people in Tuscarawas County and the surrounding areas to really see that we have a vibrant art scene that is happening here,” Beitzel said while crediting the many other art events going on each year in the area including festivals.
Tickets for the April 4 show are available for purchase at the TCDA Studio in Dover in advance for $10 or at the door for $12 on the night of the event.
Tickets for the April 5 Peter Pan ballet show at Ohio Star Theater are available through the theater’s website for $20 or at the door.
Exposure and participation in the arts are important for the students and others.
“I think for a lot of people, the arts go unnoticed. People don’t see how viable it is to a community. For these kids, being able to be involved in the arts and be exposed to the things they are, it develops creative thinking that can then be utilized in other aspects of life,” Beitzel said. “People don’t realize that the arts are a backbone of a lot of what is our culture.”
Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts is located at 461 Robinson Drive SE in New Philadelphia.