A handful of the cast of Alice in Wonderland, presented by Fame Dance Studios, posed for a photo during Monday-night rehearsal in preparation for this Sunday’s ballet at the Vic Juba Community Theatre. Taylor Weaver Meridian Source
Looking for something to do this Sunday afternoon? Why not check out the United Youth Ballet Company’s Alice in Wonderland, presented by Fame Dance Studios at the Vic Juba Community Theatre?
“We are so excited for this, and one of the biggest reasons why is The Nutcracker was a huge success,” said Fame’s owner/director/teacher Sarah Makins of the studio’s last show at the Vic Juba just before Christmas.
“The Nutcracker was our first Youth Ballet Company show, and everyone supported it enough to want to do another production.”
Makins also explained one of the main standpoints of the ballet company is for youth to learn dance the way it actually is, out in the field, not just in competition, while also making sure every aspect of the production has an element of kindness to it.
“They all support each other, they all help each other, and we like inviting groups such as seniors’ homes and the Bea Fisher and giving them a complementary ticket,” said Makins, explaining there’s an even bigger picture at play.
“We’re continuing our standpoint that body image has to go in the ballet world; that’s just huge … it can’t be about being half the size you should be and not having a healthy body. Anybody who works hard and enjoys it should be encouraged to do ballet.”
Leanne Picray, a 17-year-old Bonnyville Centralized High School student who was also in Fame’s presentation of The Nutcracker, will be portraying the role of Alice this Sunday, something she’s really looking forward to.
“It should be a really good show,” she said.
“I’m looking forward to having my friends and family there, as well as all the groups we invite to enjoy the show for free.”
Picray has been dancing with Fame for roughly 10 years and loves seeing the community support the studio she calls home.
“I think what the show stands for is really positive,” she said. “Our dance teacher likes to focus on not having a certain body image for ballet, and I think that’s a really good thing to support because it’s pretty rough sometimes.”
Picray explained it’s important to show other dancers it’s OK if you don’t have that “perfect dance body” and encourages everyone who is interested to give it a try.
The show starts at 2:30 p.m. and tickets are now available at the Vic Juba box office and are $20 for adults, $15 for students and seniors, and $10 for children 10 and under.
