More than 100 young students of The Ballet School of Topsham will take to the stage at the Orion Performing Arts Center in Topsham to perform the ballet “Cinderella” Saturday and Sunday.
It’s a lot to coordinate, according to director Elizabeth Drucker.
“We have an amazing crew that has worked with me for years,” Drucker said. “I’m sure I’m biased, but the students are incredible, especially the younger students.”
“We found roles for everybody,” she said, “and I like the themes of magic, caring and transformation.
“There are going to be 50 students under the age of 10, all at once, and they are amazing. … They’re very respectful of what they’re doing, and that’s because older dancers are also so respectful,” Drucker added. “They have good mentors. … They take it seriously. From 5 years and up, they know they have a job to do.”
It helps that there is good chemistry between Cinderella and her prince.
Sarah Meyer-Waldo, 18, of West Bath and a senior at Morse High School performs as Cinderella.
The choreography for “Cinderella” isn’t easy, Meyer-Waldo said, but added that she gives her all to the character to help the audience interpret the story.
Meyer-Waldo said dance is an “outlet to forget about the stresses of anything else that’s going on in my life.”
“If I don’t stay active, I go a little crazy,” Meyer-Waldo said. “I won’t be able to focus. … Also, the community here is amazing. … We’re all supportive, welcoming, and we help each other grow in a good environment.”
Meyer-Waldo said she feels empowered by dance, and with the discipline and long-term effort that comes with it.
“You don’t see results right away. You see results overtime, and it’s very fulfilling. It’s a great feeling to see your progress.
Adams Carney, 20, of Brunswick is studying music at the University of Southern Maine, and is Cinderella’s Prince Charming. He has danced for most of his young life, and praised the Brunswick community for being supportive of youth in arts, particularly the music and theater programs in the schools.
When asked why he dances, he responded: “Why don’t you dance?”
“You get to control every movement, every gesture,” Carney said. “Through learning to control everything you do, you learn more about yourself — how to be patient, how to not give up when you’re really tired and power through.”
Performing in “Cinderella,” Carney said, “is wicked fun.”
“The technical part is really fulfilling,” he said. “A lot of dance, a lot of ballet, is centered on the duet. Finally getting to the opportunity to do that is really satisfying. I’m still pinching myself.”
Ballet is demanding form of dance, both physically and mentally. Drucker said she tries to keep it fun by recalling lessons learned at the American School of Ballet.
“It was very intense, but the teachers were so passionate about how to dance, that it took your mind away from the discomfort, competition and selfdoubt,” she said. “Your mind was so focused, that it was very exciting to make those tiny achievements.”
It’s that conduit for students to shut out the cacophony of the outside world and focus on movement that makes dance important today, said Drucker.
“To be engulfed in that, I think, is really, really valuable for everybody, but especially young people,” she said. “And there’s the health benefits — being active, strengthening your body, learning how to take care of your body. That’s very valuable for all teenagers and adolescents — particularly adolescent girls as they’re learning to be proud of their body, and what their body can accomplish.”
Drucker said anybody can be successful in ballet, depending on how success is quantified. “If everybody has a goal that they’re reaching for each day — and there’s so many little steps that get us toward that goal — that means there’s a lot of places for success.”
“Cinderella” will be performed 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday at the Orion Performing Arts Center, 66 Republic Avenue in Topsham. General admission tickets are $10 for children and seniors, $12 for adults, and are available at the door. The performance runs 75 minutes and is geared to all ages.
jswinconeck@timesrecord.com
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