Julia Weber
Staff Writer
Have you ever wanted to see Chautauqua’s stars dance the night away?
At 7:30 p.m. Sunday in Norton Hall, Chautauqua Dance Circle will present “Dancing with the Stars of Chautauqua,” a fundraiser for the School of Dance to support student scholarships within the program. Tickets for the event can be purchased at chqdancecircle.org or in-person at Sunday’s event.
“We love the School of Dance,” said Pat Feighan, co-chair of the fundraiser alongside Karen Goodell. “We love all the programming that is brought in, and getting to know the students has really inspired us.”
On top of seeing student dancers, Feighan is also excited for the professional dance companies performing at Chautauqua.
“We can’t see that anywhere else,” she said.
The event brings together dancers and Chautauquans for a memorable night of performance, community and giving. In addition to performances by students, faculty and community members, there will be a live auction with proceeds benefiting student scholarships.
Auction items at Sunday’s event include private dinners with a selection of Chautauqua’s notable arts leaders at private homes on the grounds, an evening in the company of Chautauqua’s All-Star Alumni and School of Dance faculty and — perhaps the most rare — a chance to collaborate with Bonnefoux McBride Artistic Director of Chautauqua School of Dance Sasha Janes to choreograph an original ballet that will premiere at next year’s All-Star Gala.
The program begins with a performance by School of Dance students, followed by partner dances featuring School of Dance faculty and guest dancers.
Performances will be judged by a panel of Chautauqua celebrities, and audience members will have the opportunity to cast their own votes throughout the evening, leaving the final score to be determined at the very end of the night.
“The enthusiasm has really been overwhelming,” Feighan said. “When Chautauqua administrators like (Senior Vice President and Chief Program Officer) Deborah Sunya Moore and (Vice President of Performing and Visual Arts) Laura Savia got on board and past president Tom Becker got on board, we knew we had something special.”
Janes and CDC President Anita Lin will act as the masters of ceremonies for the evening.
“It’s going to be a fun event,” Janes said. “It’s always fun to see your peers and your colleagues performing and helping raise money for the arts.”
Each year, the School of Dance brings dozens of students to the Institution for Pre-Professional and Festival dance programs. Because ballet is such an expensive sport, many students are financially supported with partial or full scholarships.
Feighan said the cost for a student to attend a program like Chautauqua’s can be difficult for students to afford. Tuition, room and board are already quite costly, and when combined with added costs for things like travel, pointe shoes, ribbons, skirts, tights, toe pads, Band-Aids, hair supplies, sewing supplies and more, the price of ballet can add up faster than a dancer’s pirouette.
“The whole reason we’re doing this is to try to raise more money for scholarships to make ballet more equitable and more inclusive and hopefully get some kids here who wouldn’t be able to afford everything,” Janes said.
Many of the dancers who study within the School of Dance continue on in their careers to perform at some of the world’s leading dance companies. It’s joyful for Feighan to see these dancers return to the Institution’s grounds, which fuels her desire to support the next generation of dancers.
“There are so many dancers who have trained at the School of Dance who have gone on to be in some of the most prestigious dance companies in the country,” she said. “And they always love to come home.”
