Cinderella takes the stage in Vashon Dance Academy Production

Cinderella, the overworked and under-appreciated heroine who becomes the Royal Prince’s obsession, takes the stage at Vashon High School for a week-end production by the dancers of Vashon Dance Academy, May 17-19. Performances run Friday and Saturday evening at 7:30 PM and Saturday and Sunday matinee at 1:30 PM. Tickets are available at Vashon Bookshop; $13 adults, $11 students .
 
The show is produced by Dance!Vashon and features Rachael Thomas and Charlotte Schoen sharing the title role. Senior dancers Emma Zimmerman and Maria Osborne perform the roles, respectively, of the Evil Stepmother and Priscilla, the nastiest of the two Stepsisters. Besides the usual characters in the story, the Vashon creation features characters such as Ego, Midnight, Hope, and Cinders, as well as more whimsical characters like Pumpkin Babies, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Fireflies. Each year, Vashon Dance Academy students work alongside the teachers to develop original choreography, under the Artistic Direction of Cheryl Krown, Director. Dance teachers Julie Gibson, Erin McEachran, and Ronly Blau provide important choreography and support.
 
Director Krown describes the process. "Julie and I begin by picking the different characters and dances for each class and choosing the music for each dance. The older dancers contribute musical ideas too, and we grow from there. Julie and I do most of the choreography, and the kids help with many ideas, which we try to incorporate. We work through the dances, making sure each class has an important role that carries the story along. We also have two new teachers this year, Erin and Ronly, who choreographed dances for the classes that they teach.
 
"We always choose the show based on which story and characters will best suit our most advanced dancers for that year -- where they are at in their development as dancers and what roles we think will challenge and inspire them. Then we build the show and the other characters for each class from there."
 
This year’s co-producers are Tara Vanselow, John Osborne, and Tina Shattuck. Says Vanselow, "The highlight of producing is getting to work with so many incredible girls and their families. My daughter has grown up with Cheryl and Dance!Vashon, and the studio is such a safe, fun and challenging place for them all to be. Co-producing has given me an even closer look at all that goes on behind the scenes - watching over 100 families work together to support their children doing something they love has been amazing."
 
Senior Dancer Emma Zimmerman agreed, saying, "Putting this year’s show together has been great. Every year it’s an adventure, going from simply choreographing the pieces to stitching it all together into a cohesive production, but we’re getting there! Cinderella is a fun story with a lot of very colorful characters, so watching it come to life has been wonderful. We also have three guest dancers this year, Jonathan Lique and Ian Bartlett, who share the role of Prince Charming, and Evyn Bartlett who plays the Prince’s best friend. It’s been fun working with them, and they bring great energy."
 
Zimmerman has one of the more challenging roles – that of the evil Stepmother. "She actually has a very complex personality, and trying to capture that has been both difficult and very fun. I’ve had to work very hard on my facial expressions. I’ve spent a lot of time in front of the mirror! I think what makes her different from the classic Evil Stepmother you see in the movie is that it’s her vanity, rather than simply her hatred for Cinderella, that defines her. We’ve tried to play up a side of her that’s a little more fun, and hopefully the audience will see that. I have very much enjoyed letting my ego run wild with this character."
 
Krown confirms the students’ vital role in the all aspects of the show. "I always love watching how the kids take ownership of their dances once we enter the theatre. Having an audience share in the culmination of their work and development over the year is what really brings their dancing to life! Julie and I also enjoy watching the kids think on stage. Since dance is a live art, things always can happen that are unexpected, and seeing them figure out how to creatively work out a situation that appears is sometimes as amazing as what they do with the choreography. One year, the sound system went out at the very beginning of a very advanced modern piece that had lots of complicated rhythms. The kids came together as an incredible force, spontaneously remembering the rhythms of their music, and showing it so clearly with their dancing, that no one even realized the music had stopped. It was one of the most powerful moments I have seen them achieve onstage."
 
With dancers from as young as three years old to adults, the show presents a variety of talent, skill, and experience. "With the little ones, it is always a different type of challenge, because we can never predict how they will respond to having an audience. That’s the fun of it really, and what they come up with is much more entertaining that the original version anyway," says Krown.
 
Gibson, teacher and choreographer, affirmed the creative contribution from all the students. "One of the challenges is finding ways to incorporate all of our class dances (from creative movement to our upper levels) into the story line. Back in January when we were struggling with ideas for dances, my 9 year old son came up with the Fireworks dance after Cinderella meets the Prince at the ball. And we knew we wanted our advanced Point girls to be dancing in the garden, and so the dancers came up with the Firefly character."
 
Dancer Rachael Thomas added, "One of my favorite parts about the show every year is how much all of us dancers bond, but it was really nice this year, because I got to know a lot of the younger dancers."
 
The Cinderella tale traces back to ancient Greek times and has been retold in thousands of cultures across the planet. The Vashon version this month will be an unforgettable retelling, incorporating over a hundred dancers, beautiful costuming, whimsical characters, and students dancing their heart out. Gibson summarized, "I’m looking forward to seeing the audience reaction to all of our dancers’ hard work. There will be smiles and laughs and hopefully we’ll be able to bring this fairy tale to life for everyone!"
 
At the end of it all, will the shoe fit? Get your tickets and come see for yourself!