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Dixie Carter and Huntingdon Mayor Dale Kelley chat with
Beck Reilly (left) and Suzanne Mills (second from left).
Mills is a senior feature editor with Southern Living
magazine.
By Joel Washburn
washburn@mckenziebanner.com |
"Watch this!," said one Huntingdon Primary School
student as he extended his arms and spun his body
around. While not as graceful, he was re-enacting one of
the dance moves performed by Ballet Memphis, a troupe of
professional dancers at The Dixie. Students from
Huntingdon Primary and West Carroll Primary enjoyed the
production known as "Why Mosquitoes Buzz in People's
Ears."
Memphis Ballet opened the second season at The Dixie
Carter Performing Arts and Academic Enrichment Center,
"The Dixie", a multi-million dollar facility named for
Carroll County's Dixie Carter, a native of
McLemoresville and graduate of Huntingdon High School
and renowned actress. The theater is named for Dixie's
husband, Hal Holbrook, one of Hollywood's most famous
actors, who provided guidance for the design of the
theater.
Hal Holbrook views photographs of his theatrical work
displayed in the downstairs museum at The Dixie.
While The Dixie turns one, Ballet Memphis is enjoying
its 20th anniversary season. The troupe is a creative
resource as the maker and interpreter of the Mid-South
region's cultural legacy through dance, production, and
training. They performed twice Thursday, August 17 in
Huntingdon. The first was the afternoon performance for
the students and the second was for the general public,
whose audience included Dixie and Hal, and Southern
Living Magazine writer Suzanne Mills.
"There is a special feeling here when Ms. Carter and Mr.
Holbrook are here," said Lee Warren, executive director
of The Dixie.
Ballet Memphis represented the first ballet performance
at The Dixie. The troupe of 14 professional dancers
performs at the historic Orpheum Theatre for their home
performances. On the road, they perform at various
venues and showcase a variety of shows on approximately
30 dates. In April, the troupe will venture to the
prestigious Joyce Theater in New York.
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Crystal Brothers and Rafael Ferreras, Jr. were
two of 14 dancers in the Ballet Memphis
performance at The Dixie.
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Following the evening performance, The Banner
interviewed four of the dancers: Travis Bradley from
Virginia, Crystal Brothers from Arizona, Rafael Ferreras
from New York, and Virginia Pilgrim from Memphis. The
dancers related a regiment of practice and performances.
Crystal said ballet requires "practice, practice,
practice." Dancers practice five or six days weekly.
Practice involves the development of techniques and
muscle memory. Crystal said as a child, she had no
social life, because of devotion to ballet. Travis
concurred saying he attended a boarding school in
Florida to learn ballet.
The effortless lifts and synchronous dancing are
sometimes done on "strength, wing and a prayer," said
Virginia. "It's a feeling, trust and timing issue."
Rafael said he can read his partner with the touch of
her hands. "You can feel her heartbeat as you hold her
hand," he said.
The troupe's hard work is evidenced in their
performances.
The Dixie is scheduled to be featured in the February
2007 Southern Living magazine. Suzanne Mills, writer for
Southern Living, was in attendance Thursday for the
opening of the second season. "We had the best time
today," said Mills. She and her mother, Becky Reilly,
attended the Thursday performances at The Dixie and
toured shops and restaurants in Huntingdon and Carroll
County. "I was pleasantly surprised to see Dixie and
Hal," said Mills. "She was very gracious," she said of
Dixie. She found it of no surprise that the two TV and
movie stars moved about the audience effortlessly. It
seemed so natural, said Mills. No one seemed star
struck.
Mills and Reilly took the opportunity to be photographed
with the stars. At times, the mother and daughter
dotingly held hands while casually chatting with Dixie
and Hal.
The Dixie's season of performances includes an eclectic
showcase of talents. This weekend is the Dulcimer
Festival Concert featuring Larry Conger and Linda
Brockinton. Travis LeDoyt portrays Elvis on September 9,
Jean Ritchie and John McCutcheon perform A Garland of
Mountain Song on September 23 as part of Huntingdon's
Heritage Festival; Ginna Carter will portray Dorothy
October 7; Southern Fried Chicks will perform October
14; Man of Constant Sorrows will be performed on October
28; Memphis Symphony Orchestra will perform November 4,
including a matinee performance for children; Tommy Cash
and the Cash Crew will perform November 9; The Tennessee
Children's Dance Ensemble will perform November 16;
Sanders Family Christmas on December 9 and 10; 'Twas the
Night Before Christmas (for kids) on December 17; and A
Night of Broadway on December 22 to finish the 2006
season.
Linda Davis will perform on January 27 as the opening
act for 2007. The 2007 year includes Ricky Skaggs, The
American Spiritual Ensemble, The Funniest Man in
America: James Gregory, and Bethel College's production,
Sylvia, to name a few of the upcoming performances.
The Huntingdon Hay Ride is a spin off from the Louisiana
Hay Ride and features local talent and different special
guest artists each third Saturday of the month.
YOUTH PROGRAMS AND ACTIVITIES
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Sarah Beth Heyduck, Kirk Towater, and Julia
Weingarten enjoy refreshments during
intermission of the ballet.
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The Dixie is the venue for many children's
performances and academic works in the arts. The Dixie
Youth Theatre is designed to provide a distinctive
theatre education program that will empower youth to
embrace a life of excellence and creativity through
their artistic abilities and open doors to imagination
and self-confidence. Kimberli Hood Easley is the
director of the Youth Theater.
Kindermusik is a program for newborns to seven-year-old
to develop cognitive, physical, social, emotional,
language and musical. It's not about making little
Mozarts. It's about developing skills in the whole child
with the assistance of developmental programs and the
assistance of the parents. A tuition is required for the
15-week program.
The 2006-2007 School Performances include: Why
Mosquitoes Buzz in People's Ears; Dorothy; The Very
Hungry Caterpillar and other Eric Carle Favorites;
Macbeth; The Tennessee Children's Dance Ensemble;
Jamestowne; Hamlet; I Have A Dream- The Life and Times
of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.; and The Ugly Duckling.
For more information, phone The Dixie at 731-986-2100 or
visit www.dixiepac.net. |
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