By SHANNON HAUGLAND
Sentinel Staff Writer
A variety of dance styles, dancers and choreography will be highlighted Saturday evening in the Fireweed Dance Theatre’s annual show at the Performing Arts Center.
One act will have live musical accompaniment; another will be a dance collaboration by three family members that the audience, performers and creators will experience together for the first time.
“This year I’m super-excited,” said Melinda McAdams, the show’s director and one of the choreographers. “I think it’s going to be really good.”
The Fireweed Dance Company. (Sentinel Photo by James Poulson)
The Gala Performance is 7 p.m. Saturday. Presented by the Fireweed Dance Guild, it will feature more than a dozen young dancers, plus musicians and choreographers in 18 pieces.
Performers in the select group are in as many as 11 dances in lyrical, ballet, jazz and modern styles.
Fireweed Dance Theatre consists of dancers eighth grade and up who have reached a certain skill level at the Sitka Studio of Dance, take classes in ballet and jazz, and audition to be accepted into the group. They perform throughout the year at venues around town, including basketball games and Monthly Grinds.
Dance company members say they like the variety of the program, which is different from the annual Sitka Studio of Dance recital.
Grace Gjertsen, a sophomore, said she’s looking forward to performing the duet that premiered at Sitkans Can Dance. As the name implies, “Codependence” featuring her and Delaney McAdams, is about two dancers who need each other, but are also bad for each other.
“We fight in the dance,” Gjertsen said. “It’s a different emotion than we do in Recital or Nutcracker.”
Gjertsen, who was born and raised in Sitka, started dancing at age 4 and joined Fireweed in sixth grade.
Junior Autumn Dinsmore joined Fireweed in seventh grade, encouraged by her dancer friends.
“When I did, I actually liked it,” she said. “It’s different than all the other stuff they do.”
McAdams invited a number of choreographers to contribute their work. All six of the adults will dance to the 1930s big band number “Sing, Sing, Sing,” and again in the finale, “Canned Heat.”
Choreographer and vocalist Laura Turcott will sing a Tracy Chapman classic, accompanied by Mike DeBell on guitar in one dance number.
Turcott brought back a piece she choreographed some 10 years ago, “Hey Julie,” which is set in an office. (Don Lehmann plays the boss.)
Turcott also choreographed the “Strictly Ballroom” cover of “Time after Time” by Cindy Lauper. The piece was selected by senior Lucy Poulson, but Turcott was first to volunteer to choreograph.
“It’s one of the greatest songs of all time,” Turcott said. “I always like the soulful, dramatic pieces. As soon as she suggested it, I said ‘me, me, me.’”
Kelly Eckstein, a professional dancer who danced with a company in Chicago and Royal Caribbean Productions, choreographed “Good to be Alive.”
“I like the song and the energy,” she said. “I knew the girls would have fun doing it.”
Jo DiGennaro-DeBell choreographed “Codependence” and the dancing that goes with Tracy Chapman’s “Fast Car.” She said her husband included the song in a mix CD for her when the two were in high school, and she always enjoyed the hopeful messages at the beginning of the song which talks about a better future. (She learned later that the overall theme is more downbeat.) DiGennaro-DeBell also choreographed “Canned Heat,” using clips from the popular TV show “Soul Train” to inspire some of the moves.
Aren Vastola choreographed the dance that is set to a work composed by musician brother Ethan. Their mom, Cheryl, designed and created the costumes. It’s called “A la Merce,” after the modern choreographer Merce Cunningham. The costumes, music and dance were put together separately, and will be brought together on stage for the first time when the dance goes on stage Saturday night. It’s the fourth time Fireweed has done a dance inspired by Cunningham, receiving a warm reaction by the audience.
Dance company members are Aitana Gluth, Delaney McAdams, Lucy Poulson Autumn Dinsmore, Grace Gjertsen, Taylor Clifton, Alli Christner, Marycruz Bautista, Audrey Saiz, Mattey Stroemer, Alison Winger, Kelcey Simic, Macee Steinson, Malin Marius and Ginny Pearson. Other choreographers contributing to the show are Brynn Hofer and Nancy Neel.
Tickets for the show are $15 for adults and $10 for students and seniors (children 5 and under are free), at Old Harbor Books and the door.
