Spring into the Arts with Tuscarawas Dance Arts Center
Kiley McIntosh, left, Allie Bonvechio, artist Quentin Mamarella and Riley Randolph will participate in Spring into the Arts. The group is posing with a work created by Mamarella; more of his paintings will be on display at the event.
Enjoy a weekend of the arts at two events sponsored by the Tuscarawas Dance Arts Center of Dover in April: Spring into the Arts on April 21 and a performance of “Peter Pan and Other Works” on April 23.
Spring into the Arts, a benefit for the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, will be held Friday, April 21 from 6-8 p.m. Presale tickets will be available at the TDAC for $10 by calling 330-364-3060. Tickets at the door will be $12. The TCCA is located at 461 Robinson Drive SE in New Philadelphia.
The event will feature an evening of dance, live music and visual art. There will be featured artists including Quentin Mamarella and Jeff Beitzel displaying their work. Live music will be provided by Beitzel, Bob Ventre and Clint Alguire. Magic Mugs will sell coffee with the proceeds going to the TCCA. The dancers will perform, and one piece is to live music performed by Timothy Brown.
The Beitzel family has been involved at the TCCA for years, whether it be dance arts, painting or jazz music.
“My brother and I grew up going to shows there; my brother’s a musician and has played there. It just holds a lot of family value for us, so we try to do our part,” Lee Beitzel of the TDAC said.
“We’re hoping people will take more time to look around the gallery and see the different activities,” said Shelly Beitzel, TDAC owner.
As a friend of the Beitzel family, artist Mamarella will help with the fundraiser. He has had a lifelong interest in art.
“I got started in art when I was little. My grandma had a little art studio,” Mamarella said of Norma Haglock. “She kind of got me into it. But my sister lives in D.C., and I went to a museum there called the Torpedo Factory, which is a bunch of different artists in Alexandria, Virginia, and that kind of resparked my interest in art.”
Mamarella creates contemporary pop art but also does all genres.
“I like to kind of challenge myself. Once I get kind of good at one thing, I start to do something else,” Mamarella said.
Some of the same dances may be presented at both shows. A TDAC alumni, Jennifer Ames also will choreograph a dance.
“Peter Pan and Other Works” will be held Sunday, April 23 at 2 p.m. at the Ohio Star Theatre, 1387 old state Route 39, Sugarcreek. Tickets are $15 and can be purchased by calling 855-344-7547.
The TDAC middle school through high school dancers have been rehearsing since January for the two shows. Many of the dancers practice for four hours on Saturday and usually two other times during the week during their normal classes.
“This is a very busy time of year, a lot of dances in the kids’ heads,” Lee Beitzel said.
The dancers also help their community.
“We typically did a fundraiser for the Tuscarawas County Center for the Arts, and we have kind of changed it and made it more of like trying to explore the arts and get other artistry involved,” Lee Beitzel said. “That’s why we’re having artists and the live music. Then ‘Peter Pan’ has developed over the years. This is actually our sixth year that we’re going to be doing it.”
This will be the first year “Peter Pan” will be performed at the Ohio Star Theatre.
“We’re excited to see it on a bigger stage and to try to get some more community involvement,” Lee Beitzel said. “That’s what our goals are with these different events — trying to get people that normally maybe wouldn’t know about these events and show the community we are involved here and doing things in the art community.”
In the past the TDAC dancers have performed “Peter and the Wolf,” “Little Red Riding Hood” and more for the spring show. With “Peter Pan” always a favorite of Lee Beitzel, she decided to choreograph ballet moves to the story.
“It just took off so much that that’s kind of the one that we’ve stuck with,” Lee Beitzel said. “It was always a dream of mine honestly — since I was like a little kid — to do this.”
Lee Beitzel and her mother Shelly enjoy watching the dancers grow and develop their abilities. “To see that progression of when they first start in year one and then maybe six years later is pretty cool to watch,” Lee Beitzel said.
In the winter the TDAC dancers also perform “The Nutcracker” at the Performing Arts Center at Kent State Tuscarawas.
Classes for all ages are available at the Tuscarawas Dance Arts Center starting with Mommy and Me.
“We do offer adult tap classes, and we offer everything from ballet and point, to jazz and hip hop, to modern. We really try to make sure that kids have an opportunity to get a well-rounded dance education,” Lee Beitzel said. “And at certain levels, if they want to be considered company or apprentice company, they have to take a certain amount of classes a week and be a part of a certain amount of things. These kids are really dedicated.”
The TDAC has been located in Dover for more than 30 years.