Josiah Foster, 14, a member of the DanceVision Performance Company based in Plainsboro, donated the money he earned mowing lawns to DanceVision’s “Build a Ballet” campaign to raise funds for the production of the original ballet, “The Snow Queen,” based on the classic tale by Hans Christian Andersen. Other young dancers have joined Josiah, donating their garage cleaning and babysitting money to the effort. “I think it’s great to try something new,” says Foster, a West Windsor resident and a rising freshman at High School North.
The company performs two professional-quality ballet productions each year. Foster, along with other community members who participate in DanceVision productions, is excited about the new ballet and the opportunities it brings.
“I’m excited to see all the new costumes and to see everybody dancing roles that they haven’t done before,” says Max Azaro, also a company member, in anticipation of “The Snow Queen.” Azaro is a rising seventh grade student at Grover Middle School.
DanceVision will continue its campaign to fund all aspects of the original production, including costumes, props, lighting, and projection artwork, used in place of a traditional static backdrop to give life to the setting.
The production will also feature original choreography by DanceVision’s co-founder and artistic director Risa Kaplowitz of West Windsor. Kaplowitz also choreographed DanceVision’s original production of “The Secret Garden.” “Part of the reason I began DanceVision was to bring classic literature to the stage,” she says. “Dance, without speaking, can evoke feelings, emotions, and an understanding of the stories that is different from just reading them. I have heard over and over about ‘The Secret Garden’ from audience members that they have seen and read the story many times, but they’ve never seen it like that.”
For more information or to make donations visit www.dancevisionnj.org.
