What do you get when you ask local dance schools, choreographers and dancers to come together on the stage of Laxson? A potpourri of dance styles, all showcased in the Spotlight Performance. As in past years, the 4th Annual Spotlight Production will focus on the immense amount of talent in the area with regards to dance.
Organizers of the Spotlight Performance call for local dancers, schools and choreographers to send in a piece of their best work. After reviewing the submissions, up to 14 pieces are chosen to showcase on the stage at Laxson. The focus is on presenting a wide variety of styles of dance, as well as a range of ages. “Last year’s Spotlight Performance featured 14 dance pieces, performed by 11 dance companies, with dancers ranging in age from 4 to 68.
The focus of Spotlight Performance is to give local dancers a chance to dance on the “big stage” as Chico performances director Stephen Cummins says. “We’ve structured this performance to give local dancers a chance to perform in front of a large audience, in a professional performance space.” Indeed, Cummins seems to think that the majority of the audience is families and friends of the dancers, as well as dance enthusiasts from the community. “We have a wealth of talent in regards to the local dance community, “he says. “We decided to give that talent a place to perform.”
Previous Spotlight Performances have included pieces by Chico Community Ballet, Full Force, Hype Dance Studio, Inspire School of the Arts & Sciences, belly dancers, hula dancers, and Irish dancers, just to name a few. “The performances is designed to include dancers of all ages and dance levels,” said Cummins. “We feel it’s a great family event that parents can feel good bringing their children to.”
This year’s Spotlight Performance put out the calls to choreographers, dance schools and dancers in September. “Our schedule called for review of the submitted applications by early to mid-October, with notification to the companies by November,” says Karen Avis, Chico Performance’s Education and Outreach Coordinator. “Hopefully by mid-November we will have the line-up in place and published so the chosen groups can practice for a few months.”
This year, Spotlight Performance will be held on January 26 at Laxson Auditorium on the Chico State campus. Tickets and information can be found at www.chicoperformances.com.
