'Life in Color' - the theme of the iMPACT Contemporary Dance Concert, hosted by Stages, Folsom Dance Arts, at the Jill Solberg Performing Arts Theater, at Folsom High School, on May 5-6, 2012. Since a number of dance veterans were graduating from high school and moving on to college, however, tonight's show became a wonderfully-sentimental retrospective on growing up.
This is the first time I've been at Stages. Conceptually, it seems to be a somewhat complicated arrangement. Three dance companies (iMPACT Contemporary Dance, Folsom Ballet, and Sound Out Tap Company) function under the umbrella Stages organization. Stages coordinates a number of people with diverse training, a number of dance studios, and stresses youth education. Tonight, CORE Dance Collective was special guest.
Below: Bows. iMPACT's Director, Kelli Leighton (dressed in red; she is also CORE Dance Collective's Artistic Director) is brought on stage for roses. Dylan Gardener, a gifted dancer who is moving on to UCLA soon (and will be much missed), stands next to her.
There a number of highlights to the show. The opening, "Hello" (featuring Martin Solveig's song with the same name) was bright and happy. It was great to see Jacob Montoya's 'Thank Heaven for Little Girls' too (music by Maurice Chevalier).
Lots of great dancers. Too many to mention them all. If I had to mention one of the up-and-comers, it would be the sunny and musical Callyn Kammermeier.
One highlight of Act II was 'Blue or Pink?' The dance starts with Jacob Montoya as a big, impatient baby sucking his thumb, sitting in the middle of a nursery of crying 'infants'. He suggests they dance, which they proceed to do, to a number of pop songs featuring 'Baby' themes: 'Baby, One More Time' by Britney Spears, 'baby Got Back' by Sir Mix-A-Lot, etc. Jake is the most hilarious baby ever!
After the hilarity, the evening closed with a surprising and very moving tribute to Jeff Fehr, who died recently as a result of bullying.
I met Emily Kelly tonight (she's been doing musical theater at Sutter Street in Folsom: most recently in Nunsense II.
Attending exercise classes at Step One Dance Studio, I've become familiar with Fred Jonas over the past year. Fred's optimistic, easy-going charm has made him a popular figure at Step One. I knew Fred was connected in some way with Stages - he earnestly promoted Sound Out's December concert, for example - but I didn't realize HOW closely connected he was with everything here in Folsom until tonight. Since Fred's daughter, Renee Jonas, was one of the graduating seniors being feted in tonight's concert, it's clear that the entire Jonas family is a prime mover of the entire Folsom scene!
Below, Renee Jonas, with her father Fred. (Dagnabit, the camera's flash nearly shuttered Renee's eyes!) I think that's her on the promotional card, though (farther below).
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