“Imagination in Motion”

FCDC Gala – 2^nd Annual

By Lauren Green

“Dance is alive and well among the arts in Fairfax County,” said Sharon Bulova, Chairman of the Fairfax County Board of Supervisors.  On October 1^st and 2^nd 2011, the second annual Fairfax County Dance Coalition (FCDC) Gala “Imagination in Motion” showcased the array of dance talent in Fairfax, VA at the Ernst Community Cultural Center. The show was danced by 11 local companies and studios and was attended by two nearly full houses, as well as Sharon Bulova, the Arts Council of Fairfax County’s Director Linda Sullivan and George Mason University’s Dance Program Director Elizabeth Price. It included classical ballet, jazz, tap, modern, contemporary, musical theatre, Indian, and Flamenco dance performances.

Sharon Bulova presented the first annual FCDC dancer scholarship to Michael Hibbs, from the Center Stage Dance Company.  This $500 award goes to a high school senior who plans to pursue a career in dance and currently takes classes at an FCDC member company.  Dancers were required to submit an essay, faculty recommendations and a DVD of a dance performance for consideration.  The applications were reviewed by four judges (independent of FCDC) with expertise in ballet, modern/contemporary, tap and musical theatre. 

It is clear that Fairfax is a Metro Area hub for classical ballet prowess. Ballet studios Ballet Nova, Classical Ballet Theatre, and Kintz-Mejia Ballet brought excerpts from such well known classics as The Nutcracker, La Bayadere, and Swan Lake. The Ballet Arts Ensemble of Fairfax presented a full-length ballet piece “Slavic Symphony,” while Virginia Ballet Company revived the spirited crowd-pleaser “Cancan.”

While ballet is an obvious strength, Fairfax also showed its contemporary colors. Impact Dance Company, associated with Dream in Color Foundation, staged their renditions of pop songs “Jar of Hearts” (Christina Perry) and “Birds of Prey” (Florence and the Machine). In a captivating male duet, Center Stage Dance Company presented “Just the Way You Are” (Bruno Mars), fusing modern dance, hip hop isolations and gravity-defying leaps. Classical jazz dance company Dancin’ Unlimited expanded its horizons with their contemporary jazz piece “Theory of Sound,” in which dancers used contact to manipulate imaginative movement and partnering sequences.

Let’s not forget our tap roots. In “Curtain Tap,” Encore Theatrical Arts Project, brought warm-fuzzies to our hearts. Animal slippers of all forms dropped into view from a curtain raised only two feet from the ground. While some may see this as only seeing “half” of a dance, the illusion created a tickling reaction to the play on tap choreography and a pajama party.

The FCDC Gala has highlighted its support for traditional cultural dances by including two local Indian dance companies – Laysa Dance Company and Nrityanjali alongside the more well-known dance forms. It’s clear when viewing this intricate traditional style that Indian dance has had an obvious influence in the historical progression of jazz and modern dance forms.

FCDC chose the Gala theme “Imagination in Motion.” And nothing is more evident of this celebration of dance than their second annual Gala performance, which unearthed the range of dance talent in Fairfax County and brought together several previously disconnected artists and companies. With this show wrapped up, the FCDC goal of growing “awareness of and participation in the dance arts by students, audiences and dance companies” is well under way.