An article by Madison Heth telling about Heartland Dance Studio's preparation for the 2022 June ballet performance, The Brave Tin Soldier.
A photo of Heartland Dance Studio’s sign at their temporary studio taken by Madison Heth
Heartland Dance Studio, founded in 1977, has made its annual fairy tale ballets an exciting event for many in the Grants Pass community. Through months of hard work and dedication by both the dancers and instructors, every June, a beautiful and heartwarming performance is brought to the Grants Pass High School stage. This year, Heartland dancers have been rehearsing and preparing for the 2022 performance of The Brave Tin Soldier, a twist on the classic story The Steadfast Tin Soldier by Hans Christian Andersen. Heartland’s performances tell an immersive story that both adults and children love. This year's ballet tells an inspiring story of bravery and friendship as the Tin Soldier embarks on a journey of ups and downs.
Heartland shows do not only tell a memorable story, but they also give an opportunity for the talented dancers to showcase their hard work to the community. Luci Clark is a sophomore at Grants Pass High School and a dancer of many years. As a student in the advanced ballet classes at Heartland, this year she was cast as the lead role, the Tin Soldier, in Heartland’s 44th annual performance. Luci’s talent provides her character with a passion that will reach the hearts of audiences big and small. The emotion she implements into her dancing draws the audience into the story and brings her character to life.
An image of Luci Clark rehearsing her Tin Soldier solo, taken by Madison Heth
A photo of Arianna Donovan as she dances her Bird solo at a rehearsal, taken by Madison Heth
The Brave Tin Soldier has many fun characters such as a ballerina doll, teddy bears, cats, porcelain dolls and many more. Arianna Donovan, who is also an advanced dancer with Heartland, gets to dance the role of the Bird. Arianna’s quick and beautiful technique is shown in her solo, as her character flutters about the toy room. All of the dancers in this year's show are putting lots of time and effort into the dances and bringing the story to life. Not only is the value of friendship shown in the story of the Tin Soldier, but also behind the scenes in rehearsals among the dancers. At Heartland, kindness and friendship are both demonstrated in class and in the stories told through artistic dance.
The time and effort put into a performance by the choreographers and dancers is remarkable. Finally bringing the show to the stage is an exciting moment for both the audience and the dancers. At the end of June, The Brave Tin Soldier will be brought to the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center stage. The story of the Tin Soldier, told through ballet, will give the audience an understanding of the meaning of friendship, bravery and determination.
A photo of the Grants Pass Performing Arts Center, the place where Heartland will perform The Brave Tin Soldier, taken by Madison Heth
https://www.heartlanddancestudio.com/