JACKSON, Wyo. — Dancers’ Workshop (DW) continues to open its doors to those dreaming of becoming a dancer.
It all comes down to this…opportunity.
Crucial experiences within the community foster growth, and unite people together as one to achieve more than thought possible. Bringing in arts and culture from all over the world to our beautiful, changing valley supports this growth. Dancers’ Workshop is all about creating moments to try new things, for self discovery, and to work towards goals beyond our wildest dreams. This is how The School supports local youth.
The School at Dancers’ Workshop provides year-round creativity and dance classes for children ages 2 to 18 in Jackson Hole, beginning with Kinder movement, and including a full pre-professional training program. Seasonal performances for the community are part of The School’s curriculum, as these are integral to the training of young dance artists.
Next up on the School’s schedule is New Dances, New Choreographers (NDNC), the spring showcase for the Junior Repertory Company (JRC), Dancers’ Workshop’s pre-professional students.
This year’s performance, titled “Duality“, features 13 student pieces presented alongside the innovative work of professional choreographers Lauren Edson and Gina Patterson, exploring themes of family ties, crossing paths, solitude, human interactions with technology, joy and tragedy.
For Senior Edie May, “NDNC is so special because it gives students the opportunity to change roles, from dancer to creator, which is an amazing and unique learning experience. It’s truly such a magical show because there is just nothing like it.”
“Duality” will be particularly bittersweet, as it will celebrate and commemorate the hard work and commitment of the nine graduating JRC seniors.
Then on Friday, May 10 and Saturday, May 11, students ages five to 18 will take to the stage and present a carefully-rehearsed show of their hard work in DW’s annual Progress Performance. The youngest dancers will delight the audience with their newfound love of rhythmic movement, while intermediate students will show their building knowledge of ballet, modern and hip hop. The School’s most advanced dancers, including the JRC, will perform pieces reflecting their evolution as artists and creatives.
Progress Performance also marks the conclusion of The School at Dancers’ Workshop’s most important fundraiser – Keep Us Dancing. Through this yearly giving opportunity, Dancers’ Workshop is able to provide a full spectrum of the highest quality youth dance experiences, beginning with our little Kinder dreamers. Keep Us Dancing has an invaluable impact on the local arts community, and for artists and creators of tomorrow.
This year, Dancers’ Workshop hopes to receive $60,000 in donated funds to support dance scholarships, production costs, studio and theater rental space for their students through the Center for the Arts, and invaluable guest instructor experiences from world-class artists. Donations also support salaries for the School’s faculty, to match the love and dedication they pour into each and every class.
“I teach through imagery, humor and caring,” School Director Eric Midgley said. “Becoming a dancer requires dedication and perseverance, but also vulnerability and trust in your teachers. Mutual respect is key to our way of working at The School at Dancers’ Workshop. We learn from each other and share the wins and losses.”
A performance like NDNC costs Dancers’ Workshop $20,000 to produce. But this yearly show and other experiences like it provide irreplaceable learning and teamwork opportunities for students that truly prepare them for their futures. The School strives to provide the absolute best for all of their students, while making it as accessible as possible, leading to their 2024 goal to increase their student body and diversify underwriting for students. That’s why Dancers’ Workshop is so delighted to announce that three anonymous donors have come together to present a $20,000 donor match for this year’s showcase – an incredible example of Jackson Hole uniting to support local youth and a flourishing creative culture.
“We want to open doors, and keep them open,” DW Artistic Director Babs Case explained. “There are no barriers to entry at DW. If you want to dance, we want to help you do it. This is what makes our school so special, and what makes our students able to dream so big. We facilitate the best futures for anyone looking to reach for the stars. We are so grateful to our community for helping us do this, and for appreciating all the incredible work time and energy our students put into achieving their dance dreams.”
The NDNC production on April 19 and 20 and the Progress Performance on May 10 and 11, both take place at The Center Theater.
The DW encourages residents to show their support for the striving students of dance in the community.
