Vail dance groups to perform spring show Saturday

It’s springtime and that means many area students will be showcasing the hard work and dedication they’ve put into their sport, musical instrument, acting, singing and dancing with competitions, recitals, concerts, musicals and performances throughout the Vail Valley and beyond. This Saturday, the Vail Friends of Dance presents its Spring Showcase performance featuring dancers from the Vail Youth Ballet Company and Vail Valley Academy of Dance Repertory Competition Team.

The dancers at the Vail Youth Ballet Company are excited to share their hard work over the past three months at the annual performance, which will be held at the Vail Christian High School Theater from 4 to 6 p.m. on Saturday. All of the pieces have been choreographed by company dancers themselves and tell personal stories. The performances are also highly personalized with the students selecting the music, costumes and hair styles to set the mood.

The performance will span genres and moods, from a group ballet number to a performance set to “Low,” (Apple Bottom Jeans) by Flo-Rida to the jazz club vibe of the 1930s to more traditional Balanchine-inspired choreography set to “The Good Side” by Troye Sivan.

This will be the first Spring Showcase in a theater with a live audience since 2019, so the dancers, especially the eight seniors in the group, have a lot to get in.

“I am excited to help the dancers present their own choreography and allow the audience to see the final product and the culmination of months of hard work,” said Ashley Calligan, the owner and artistic director of the Vail Valley Academy of Dance.

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This time of year also means competition season is coming to a close and the Vail Valley Academy of Dance Repertory Company finished its season strong. The Company competed in four nationally recognized competitions in the Denver area over the past month, bringing home seven first-place awards, 22 special awards and myriad other distinctions.

The company consists of 23 girls ages 11 to 15 and the company dancers are selected through an audition process. The dancers are enrolled in a minimum of ballet, jazz and contemporary along with their weekly rehearsals and other optional genres.

“Focusing on many styles of dance opens their possibilities and broadens their skill set,” said Calligan, who oversees the company which began in 2017 under the leadership of talented choreographers Morgan Kulas and Colin Meiring. Meiring says that winning isn’t everything.

“Winning is fun, but it’s not what it’s all about. Wanting to win is the point. Our dancers put in the work and deserve the accolades,” Meiring said.

The Spring Showcase performance isn’t just for families and friends of the dancers, it’s for anyone who loves to view and support dance and for any aspiring dancers, too. General admission seating is $15 and can be purchased at the door or online at FriendsOfTheDance.org/Showcase. Come early to purchase some goodies at the bake sale, catch up with friends and to get a good seat.