Leap over to WICA and Celebrate the Dance!

Body, action, space, time, energy, and music. These are the elements of a good dance performance, where it all comes together in a beautiful synergy of movement to tell a story, evoke emotion, and take one’s breath away. The dancers of Whidbey Island Dance Theatre Company (WIDT) bring all of it to their annual Celebration of Dance concert at Whidbey Island Center for the Arts at 7 p.m. Friday, April 28, and at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Saturday, April 29.

For “Celebration of Dance” the company and its guest dancers will perform premiere works by both island and Seattle-area choreographers, including the vibrant modern piece “Confront/Connect” by Andrea Burr; and “Floralia,” a fast-paced, dynamic piece by Lara Littlefield.

The company will also perform various works choreographed by locals Elliauna McLean and Megan Moore (WIDT’s co-artistic directors), Beck Diamond, the founder of Meander Dance Collective, and a student work choreographed by WIDT principal dancer SWHS senior, Taryn Henny, and award-winning dancer, SWHS senior Tay Pitts, who swept the Spotlight Dance Cup competition in January as a member of the Island Dance Competition Team.

Other treats on the program include choreo by Jamee Pitts, co-owner of Island Dance and coach of the Island Dance Competition Team, who has choreographed several pieces, including several award-winning solos by company members.

Exciting guest performances include the adult dancers of the Bellingham Repertory Dance Company and the Meander Dance Collective.

WIDT has been engaging community audiences with their dance for the past 30 (yes, 30!) years. Celebration of Dance has only three performances and provides one of only a few opportunities for young dancers to perform on stage in a semi-professional setting. The revenues garnered from these annual performances allow these young artists to train with acclaimed teachers and attend conferences on a regional and national level. These experiences prepare aspiring dancers for a potential career in the performing arts or simply give young people the opportunity to learn skills they will all use later in their adult lives:  teamwork, discipline, and an awareness of the art form’s value to themselves and the wider world.

“Without the generous financial support of our community, we could not fulfill our mission and continue to give our dancers the production, festival, performance and educational opportunities that they must have to enter the pre-professional and professional world of dance,” says Charlene Brown, the one who started it all 30 years ago and who continues to teach.

“We are continually grateful for our community’s generosity and enthusiasm for all things dance.”

Tickets cost $25 for adults and $18 for seniors/youths for all shows. Order online wicaonline.org or call the box office at (360) 221-8268.

Enjoy the dance!