BATESVILLE — Marionettes, mimes and snake charmers. Oh my!
The North Arkansas Dance Theatre, a nonprofit dance troupe, will present Carnival, an original performance choreographed by Hannah Wells, assistant director of the North Arkansas Dance Theatre.
Show dates for Carnival are May 21 and 22 in Mountain View, May 26 in Melbourne and June 2 and 3 in Batesville.
“I started off as a dancer at North Arkansas Dance Theatre Dance Academy when I was 7 years old,” Wells explained.
“I’ve been in a teaching position since I was 18,” she said.
Wells said Carnival will feature a variety of dance styles, including ballet, tap, jazz, hip-hop and ballroom.
“Just about any dance you can imagine, we’ve found a way to incorporate it,” Wells said.
Wells said Carnival is loosely based on Carousel, a popular 1940s musical.
“We took the romance aspect out of it because we’re working with youth,” she said, laughing.
“In Carnival, a young girl leaves her drab life behind and joins the circus. In the circus, she interacts with the ringmaster, fortune teller, lions, bears, acrobats and more,” Wells said.
“As she interacts with these people in the carnival, she’s trying to find her niche. She has difficulty finding that,” Wells said.
“It’s one of those happily ever-after stories, and the good guy wins,” she said.
“Our tightrope-walker dance is ballet, our magician dance is a jazz number,” Wells said.
“The concession stand has tappers who are pieces of popcorn and Red Hots, and a candyman comes out and dances,” she said. “Hip-hop dancers are in the funhouse, and we also have a laser light show that goes on in the funhouse.”
Wells said the North Arkansas Dance Theatre has an amazing impact on the dancers.
”Our girls come from lots of different backgrounds and lots of different levels of socioeconomic status. When they dance together, everyone is equal,” Wells explained.
“We’re a company where hard work and loyalty really pay off. It’s not just about technique and training,” she said.
“We work as a team. We never have issues with drama, and we all feel like a big family,” Wells said.
Wells said the girls perform not only on stages, but at festivals, in parades and at nursing homes.
“The impact they have on other people can really just change their lives,” she said.
Cindy Hubberd, president of the North Arkansas Dance Theatre, said the organization became a nonprofit in 1997.
Hubberd said she has dance academies at three locations: Mountain View, Batesville and Izard County.
“We invite dancers from all three locations into the nonprofit performing troupe. They pay $50 a year and get a T-shirt, free rehearsals, a jacket and a performing outlet that goes on year-round rather than just having a year-end recital,” she explained.
“The nonprofit puts on a full-length performance of The Nutcracker each year, and anyone in the public can be in it,” Hubberd said. “There are nondancing roles for ages 5 and up.”
Hubberd said the girls have a lot of fun performing at nursing homes for free.
“Sometimes we can split off and do three nursing homes in one day,” she said. “We perform at a lot of nursing homes because we feel like we need to give back and just share dance. We really enjoy doing that.”
Hubberd said ticket sales and fundraisers benefit the nonprofit dance troupe.
“We sell flowers and merchandise,” she said. “During Nutcracker, we sell nutcrackers, Christmas ornaments, sweatshirts and stuff like that,” she said.
“We sell flowers at recitals so parents can present their child with a flower to say ‘good luck,’” Hubberd said.
“Carnival is a spectacular production. Hannah is a magnificent choreographer. … The way she has put it together is clever,” Hubberd said.
“The parents of members of the troupe work recitals. They work willingly, and they’re wonderful. It’s quite a well-oiled machine,” she said.
Hubberd said the Batesville Community Theatre and the North Arkansas Dance Theatre have teamed up to offer their second annual Summer Musical Theater Camp from June 19-23 in Batesville.
Hubberd said the dance camp is open to the public and costs $55 for the week if dancers register by June 12. After June 12, the registration fee is $60 if spots are available.
“The kids in the troupe all love to dance. They’re hard workers, and it’s not a competitive atmosphere,” Hubberd said. “I love to see the kids enjoy dancing so much and get so excited about dancing and performing.”
Carnival will be performed at Mountain View Elementary School at 5:30 p.m. Saturday and at 2:30 p.m. Sunday; at John E. Miller Auditorium on the Ozarka College Campus at 7 p.m. May 26; and at Southside High School in Batesville at 7 p.m. June 2 and at 6 p.m. June 3.
Tickets are $8 for adults and $5 for children ages 11 and younger.
Proceeds from tickets sales will benefit the nonprofit.
“You never know what you’re going to cultivate when you start something like this,” Hubberd said. “You never know what hidden talent is out there. I’ve seen so much, and it’s very gratifying.
“I like the rehearsing part the best. When the show comes together, it’s unbelievable watching these kids’ faces and how they light up.”
For more information on Carnival or the Summer Musical Theater Camp, contact Cindy Hubberd at (866) 468-6238 or cindy@nadt.info.
Staff writer Kayla Baugh can be reached at (501) 244-4307 or kbaugh@arkansasonline.com.