Drayton Entertainment is continuing its tradition of engaging area youth in the arts.
Twenty local dancers have been cast alongside the professional cast in the much-anticipated production of Footloose on stage now at St. Jacobs Country Playhouse.
“There is a tremendous pool of young talent in our community,” says Alex Mustakas, artistic director of Drayton Entertainment.
“We are delighted to give these aspiring performers the chance to be on stage.”
Close to 100 young performers attended the open dance call. Hopefuls had to demonstrate advanced dance ability in order to keep up with the fast-paced choreography of the production.
The successful performers come from a range of dance studios including Bring Tap Back, Centre Stage Dance, Classical Dance Conservatory, ConfiDance, Dance Extreme Inc., DanceMakerz, Davenport Dance Project, Fresh Dance Intensive, Innovative Dance, IN.MOTION School of the Performing Arts, Morée School of Dance and Star Performance Academy.
The youth will be divided in two teams and perform on a rotating schedule.
Footloose follows the story of city boy Ren McCormack, who moves from Chicago to the small town of Bomont where the memory of a tragedy has caused a ban on dancing. With a powerhouse score of classic ‘80s anthems, Footloose celebrates the wisdom of youth and the power of redemption.
Director and choreographer Timothy French leads the creative team along with music director Robert Foster, set designer Allan Wilbee, costume designer Jessica Bray, and lighting designer Kevin Fraser.
Tickets are $42 for adults and $25 for youth under 20. Preview performances before the official opening and groups of 20 or more are $34. Tickets are available at www.stjacobscountryplayhouse.com, at the box office or by calling 1-855-DRAYTON (372-9866).
