Backstage at the Tonne Playhouse, everything is pink.
A bunch of little dancers burst onto the Nutcracker set, clad in blush sparkles, and cheerful instructors greet each of them. Michelle Fowler scurries behind the group, carrying a handful of rosy teddy bears and laying them on the props table.
“I think we’re missing one,” she says.
Then Fowler, the ballet instructor for the youngest class at West Florida Dance Company, addresses the eager parents waiting to see their graceful ballerinas—the final rehearsal before the studio performed Clara’s Dream, an abridged Nutcracker ballet.
“This is a fun place,” Fowler says amidst the Land of Sweets backdrop.
The performance follows Clara and the Nutcracker as they are whisked away following their defeat of the Mouse King. The second act of The Nutcracker begins in the magical Land of Sweets. Featuring styles like acrobatics, jazz, and ballet, Clara’s Dream showcases the diverse art of dance.
For Fowler, Clara’s Dream, performed at the Central Park Performing Arts Center last Saturday, was a training ground for young performers. She was once in those pink ballerinas’ shoes. Having started dance as a mere toddler and worked in dance for 40 years, Fowler experienced a full-circle moment with the production.
“Many go on to teach because they love it so much. If you learn from great teachers, you learn how to be a great teacher,” Fowler said.
Clara’s Dream, however, wasn’t typical for the West Florida Dance Company. The ensemble regularly competes in regional and national conventions. Instead, this show focused more on the performance element of dance.
“Performance art is so important because even if these kids aren’t going to be professional dancers, being on stage and conquering fears like that, being vulnerable in front of people, and giving it your all on stage is just such a great skill to learn in life,” said Allison Burns, the company director.
Still, the cast had to translate the same discipline and spirit from competition to performance. Most of the instructors had performed in dozens of Nutcrackers, but this time, they wanted something different for the kids.
Julio Concepcion, one of the lead dance instructors, thought of the idea a year ago; but he’s done the three-hour-long ballet countless times.
“I’ve always wanted to do my own thing,” he said.
Originally from Cuba, the 36-year-old believes that the secret to Clara’s Dream, or any performance, is dedication. Showing up every day and improving makes all the difference, per Concepcion.
Although the dance company has featured recreational shows for a while, this year they’ve emphasized the fundamentals of dance.
“The foundational program—we believe it’s the foundational element for everything. Yes, we’re using it for dance, but they’re also learning discipline, motor skills, and fine motor skills. All those things come together,” Fowler added.
That said, some kids took the word “recreational” too lightly. Other commitments, like cheer and school, got in the way of making rehearsals. It was hard for teachers to conduct practice with uncertain attendance. And sometimes, the aspiring dancers realized that the stage is different from the classroom: it’s a lot bigger and scarier.
But for some of the more experienced members, the bonds and friendships outweigh the fear.
“It’s always been family everywhere I go. Everybody wants the same thing. Everybody is fighting for the same thing,” Elijah Burden said.
Burden played the lead Nutcracker, and he appreciated Clara’s Dream’s shift from competition. In fact, Burden uses his role as a balance. The 16-year-old channels the crowd’s reactions and emotions as motivation to face judges at more rigorous events, helping him deal with nerves when it matters most.
Away from the sharp eyes of judges, the cast got to share their interpretation of the ballet. Shaleigh Pinto, 14, who played a lively Spanish Chocolate, focused more on storytelling through her body.
Pinto also saw herself in the youngest class of dancers: “Working with the little kids—it’s so cool thinking, ‘I was that little once and doing the same exact thing they’re doing,’” she explained.
