Document text
'Circa' dance performance showcases local talent By Susan DeRosia Ashland Daily Tidings Although I was nowhere near the stage in the plaza during last year's Festival of Light parade and post-parade festivities, the word was that the most amazing part of the afternoon was the performance by Ashland's own troupe of aerialists from the Children's Dance Children's Dance Theater students practice for their performance. Submitted photo Theatre. So, when flipping through the channels a few days later I came upon the RVTV broadcast of the parade, I sat and watched with interest. Clearly they stole the show. Suspended from a crane parked near the plaza, with its long arm stretching over the stage was a bar with metal circles suspended from it. Playing with, in and around the circles, the young people performed amazing feats - aerial dance numbers - in front of a very appreciative crowd. While it's wonderful to see professional circus performers a la Cirque de Solie dancing in the air on public television, seeing these young performers was a lot more fun, because their hard work, dedication and old fashioned glee were sparkling as brightly as the thousand Christmas lights in the plaza. Some of those dances can be seen again when The Children's Dance Theatre of Ashland presents its new production, "Circa" at the Spotlight Theatre at Center Stage Studios, 1090 Benson Way #3, Ashland. If you haven't been out to the Center Stage Theatre, it's located south of downtown: follow Siskiyou Boulevard to Crowson Road, turn left and then watch for Benson. The road curves around and smack dab in the middle of an unassuming row of studios and shops is the Center Stage Theatre. "Circa" will be performed at 7 p.m. Friday, January 31 and Saturday, February 1; at 3 p.m. Sunday, February 2; and at 7 p.m. on Friday and Saturday, February 7 and 8; with a final matinee at 3 p.m., Sunday, February 9. The show is directed by Children's Dance Theatre Artistic Director Lorenzo SantaBarbara, from a story written by CDT's teenage dancers. It marks the first time the students have been involved in the creation of the show. The story line was revised and edited by SantaBarbara and Laurie McNulty. Circa is a young girl who has a dream that a fire destroys everything that is close to her, her family, her cat and the trees. Circa then encounters and befriends the goddesses of Earth, Air, Fire and Water. Each goddess performs dances which offer strength and wisdom to the young Circa, who comes to recognize her own beauty and strength reflected back to her from each of the goddesses. Much of the story is told by dancers who will be suspended 18 to 20 feet above the stage. SantaBarbara started The Children's Dance Theatre of Ashland in 1998. Since then, the company has presented "Cats," "The Wiz," "Latino Nutcracker," Rainbow Goblins," "Migration" and "Grease." The group has performed at Bumbershoot in Seattle and is looking at ways to work out an exchange program with Ashland's sister city, Guanajuato, Mexico. The casts for these shows have been largely drawn from SantaBarbara's dance students who range in age from five to 17 and come from the Rogue Valley. Performances have included boys and girls, occasional adult guest artists, unicycles and juggling. SantaBarbara describes them as "children performing professionally." The classes and shows offer SantaBarbara's young charges discipline and a place to have fun. "It helps them to see that focus and discipline are not awful," SantaBarbara says. "I love watching when children get excited about getting better. I have always studied technique and I feel that children should study technique." And study they do. Children's Dance Theatre offer classes in aerial dance, children's dance and adult dance. There are three levels of classes involving 70 children, non-performing aerial classes with 40 students and three performing companies (junior, apprentice and senior) whose 35 members all take aerial classes. Center Stage Studios, where the classes meet, is full of floor space and performance paraphernalia. There's a rock-climbing wall, a trapeze, tightrope, bungees and assorted circus equipment - everything you need to have visions of goddesses dancing over your head. Tickets for "Circa" are $10 and are available at Paddington Station, Ashland. LINKS: REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. DAILY TIDINGS: Main | Sports | Business | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -