Yellow Pages
With mischievous fairies, Amazons and lovers lost in the woods, Fidalgo DanceWorks’ presentation of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” promises all the enchantment of Shakespeare with the added magic of a score by Mendelssohn — and some new boom beats for an added kick.
The show will be entertaining and family friendly, said the dance school’s Executive Director Glynna Goff-Eloe.
“My 3-year-old just cracks up when we bring her to the rehearsals,” she said. “I think it would be so much fun for the entire family to come.”
Fidalgo DanceWorks presents “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” at 7 p.m. Saturday, June 13 and 3 p.m. Sunday, June 14 at Brodniak Hall. Tickets are $10-$15 at the dance studio, 901 Third St., and at the door. For more information call the school at 299-8447.
This version features 150 students, from tiny beginners to accomplished advanced ballerinas, and includes all the different styles of dance taught at the school. The show is a cohesive performance rather than a recital.
Goff-Eloe said “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” is Shakespeare’s most accessible work — like a theatrical version of “Nutcracker.” The music is by Felix Mendelssohn, who turned some of the speeches into songs. The ballet was condensed, but DanceWorks has expanded it.
“We’re using all the disciplines within the story — tap, hip-hop, modern,” she said.
Tappers will be thunder and lightening.
“Titania has a speech that this quarrel with Oberon is causing a disturbance in the natural world,” Goff-Eloe said.
One hip-hop class will portray “some crazy bugs,” she said. An older class, grades 5-7, will dance as the Mechanicals — simple-minded workers who are eager to entertain at the royal marriage of Theseus (Kelly Schultz) and Hippolyta (Kirsten Mullins). A teen and adult class will be fire and ice.
“I really wanted to create that world and integrate the dancers into that world,” Goff-Eloe said. “I think everyone has put out their best effort for this. I’m thinking it will be our best production yet.”
Goff-Eloe said hip-hop teacher Vanessa Wallen had doubts about the concept, but gamely tried adapting the music.
“What she did was take Mendelssohn and put a boom beat under it,” Goff-Eloe said. “It’s hilarious. It’s part of my vision of keeping it cohesive.”
Titania will be played by Allie Hurtado and Oberon is Jacob Johnson. In Titania’s train are Moth, Miranda Melling; Cobweb, Ivey Fredrickson-Recanzone; Peaseblossom, Susannah Seligman; and Mustardseed, Anna Harrison. Titania’s court includes Jenny Ives, Julianna Seligman, Danika Iverson and Talyn Budnik. Puck is Ailin Goff and the changeling child is Owen Reeder.
The parts of the lovers lost in the wood are danced by Shannon Bingham, Brianna Trafton, Gabe Hill and Loren Bickley. Egeus is Jane Wiegand and Bottom, the mechanical who magically gets the head of an ###, is Tyler Johnson.
“I immediately thought of Tyler for Bottom. I knew he’d bring life to it,” Goff-Eloe said.
Modern dancers are tree spirits, dryads and Hippolyta’s Amazons. Combo students are wood nymphs, butterflies, woodland creatures, brambles, magical flowers and ladybugs. Young ballet students are fairies and members of the Athenian court.
Goff-Eloe holds a bachelor’s degree in communications, dance and theatre emphasis, from Chapman University in Orange, Calif., and is a graduate of the Professional Actor’s Conservatory in San Francisco. She said “A Midsummer Night’s Dream” offers her a chance to celebrate two of her favorite things, dance and theater.
“I’m excited about this,” she said.
The dancers’ enthusiasm increased when they tried on their costumes for a photo day last month.
“You feel like a princess when you put them on,” said Shannon Bigger, who is handling publicity for the show.
“We’re really thrilled with the costumes,” Goff-Eloe said.
Because the production is already ambitious, the school decided to buy outfits rather than make them.
“It’s ballet out of a box. We ordered everything to give ourselves a little break after ‘Nutcracker,’” she said.
A few costumes deemed too bland were handed over to Susan Ferrell, who painted on designs inspired by prehistoric cave images.
“She just went to town,” Goff-Eloe said. “We’ve had so much support from our dancers’ families.”
Everyone involved is eager to see the performances.
“It’s a really fun show. I think it will be really adorable. It’s been, I think, a good experience for the performers,” she said.
