Teaching artist Skyla Caldwell, with the N.C. Dance Theater, shows Midway High students Hillary Clement, left, and Ariel Naylor when to utilize the high kick in their performance during the troupe’s residency program late last week. Members of the dance troupe will perform Saturday as part of the CenterStage series and for students early next week as part of the ClassActs program.
“It is going to be something really exciting, because we typically do not have a lot of dance programs here in Sampson County, although we do have a lot of people who dance,” said Ray Jordan, executive director for the Sampson County Agri-Exposition Center. “We haven’t had one here for some time, but this is not what you would expect ... it is an absolutely beautiful presentation.”
Jordan notes that the show is not the “condensed” version that some students will see early next week as part of the highly successful ClassActs series.
“No, it is not the same. The one that will be on Saturday night, is actually longer,” he said.
Jordan pointed out that the North Carolina Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts is providing $15,000 in financial assistance to bring the North Carolina Dance Theatre to Sampson County. As part of this project, two educational performances will be performed next week for Sampson County students (seventh and eighth graders) and members of N.C. Dance Theatre have provided three days of residency work within the community as well as Saturday’s extended public performance.
Members of the company were at Midway and Union high schools last week (see box) and spent Tuesday and Wednesday at Sampson Middle School.
“I just think that it is wonderful,” Jordan said. “We presented it to the school systems and told them what they were going to do; everyone was just so excited about it.”
“I think it is a great thing for the kids to have a chance to see this,” Becky Jackson, director of middle school education for Sampson County Schools, said in a committee meeting Monday. “It is something that some of the children may never get to see ... I just think Ray (Jordan) and his staff are doing marvelous things to help bring the arts here. The Class Acts program is just wonderful.”
“It is something that the children will never forget,” said Sampson County Board of Education member Doris Warren. “When a child has an opportunity to see programs like this, it will stay with them. I think it is just fantastic.”
Area superintendents have also praised the center’s work.
“Ray Jordan does an excellent job coordinating this event,” Clinton City Schools superintendent Dr. Gene Hales said about the Class Acts program. “We, in Clinton City Schools ,appreciate all that the community does to enhance cultural arts programs in our schools.”
“When people think of education they think of math, language arts and text books,” said Sampson County Schools superintendent Dr. Ethan Lenker. “But there is also a need to teach things that can’t be tested — culture and life experiences. Class Acts does that for our students. That program educates another part of the student that they need to have ... It is an invaluable service to the kids of Sampson County.”
Unlike previous years, Jordan scheduled all the Class Acts shows during one week. In addition to “American Masterpieces,” next week students will also see: “One Noble Journey,” on March 24 (for sixth graders); “Tired Souls — The Montgomery Bus Boycott,” on March 24 (for ninth graders); “The Jungle Book,” on March 25 (for first and second graders); and “Toying with Science,” on March 26 (for third and fourth graders).
However, it is the March 21 performance that will be the tough sell.
“The public performance is going to be hard to sell; I knew that going in,” Jordan said. “But we felt like it was important for the children to have an opportunity to see this show and have a chance to interact with the dancers ... We couldn’t pass it up.”
The show for the children will be a much more scaled down version of the public performance.
At last month’s board meeting, Jordan requested that a discounted rate be applied to Saturday’s show.
“Because there are 912 seats in that room, and our artist fee is $6,000, so we have to offer something to get more people in those seats,” he explained.
Board members agreed and settled on a buy two, get one free ticket offer for Saturday’s 8 p.m. performance.
“We just want to make sure that everyone who wants to see it, will have an opportunity to see it,” Jordan said. “It is a wonderful program and I think that people who have never seen this type of show, will truly enjoy it.”
Tickets are still on sale.
For more information call (910) 592-7200 or click on to www.sampsoncenterstage.com
To reach Doug Clark call (910) 592-8137 ext. 139 or send email to sisports@myclintonnc.com.
Post a Comment
