by Shelley Bennett
J&J Performing Arts presented A Frozen Story for their end of the year show on June 10th and 11th. Under the direction of Jessica Wade, hundreds of dancers waited backstage as the story unfolded, starting with a mesmerizing performance of “Northern Lights” by the Tumble 3 class.
As they executed their flips and tricks with perfection, the icy, far away environment of Arendelle was set for Little Elsa and Anna (played by Linnea Petersen and Kadence Ramsey) to introduce the story.
The playfulness of Linnea and Kadence in “Build a Snowman” showed their bond as dancers and friends and led directly to their older counterparts Olivia Ormachea and Mariah Beckman.
These two young women have danced together for many years, and you can sense their trust. Their movements and emotions complemented each other in “Losing Touch”, a loving tribute that show the sisters growing apart, yet yearning to be together. This dance also mirrors what Olivia and Mariah will face in a couple of months as they leave the comfort of home for new adventures.
There were many beautiful performances in A Frozen Story, let me tell you about some of my favorites:
Aaralyn Penaloza as Olaf was the perfect comic relief for the two sisters. Aaralyn was adorable in her snowman gear and her tap numbers “Cold as Ice” and “It’s Too Darn Hot” were very entertaining.
Another standout performance was from Mamma Troll, Savannah Stephenson. With her graceful steps and arm movements, Savannah conveyed love and warmth to the stage and other dancers.
Travis Ross as Kristoff was strong, brooding, and provided a steady base for a complicated series of lifts and partner work with Olivia in “How Am I Supposed to Live”.
Fittingly, it is Elsa who saves Anna in the end and it felt like a bit of closure for friends Mariah and Olivia. It’s difficult to put into words, but I felt content watching their performance, knowing they will dance together again, always be in each other’s lives, even if it’s now exactly on a stage like this one. This performance honored their friendship with a grace and depth only seen in lifelong examples.
My favorite performance of the night was “Only a Lifetime” featuring the Modern 3 class which provided a moment of reflection to end the evening. Again, the emotion was palpable as each dancer put their heart into the steps they executed with perfection.
J&J instructors Wade, Katherine Guess, Raina Stump, Nicomi Reed, Celeste Wiser, and Uvea Grace offer a variety of classes from hip hop to pointe, tumble to jazz, modern to ballet, at many levels of difficulty.
One of the sweetest dances featured Wade, Guess, Wiser, and Grace dancing with their children, showing how the tradition of dance has grown in the studio.
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