'Dracula' ballet an opportunity for young dancers
The Aiken Civic Ballet performed Dracula to a packed house at the Etherredge Center last Friday.
For this production they cooperated with Norbert Nirewicz, who was both the titular character and involved in many aspects of production, including choreography. The cast included dancers from the Aiken Civic Ballet, members of the Aiken community and members from the Roanoke Ballet Theater, who provided mentorship to the younger dancers.
The stated mission of the Aiken Civic Ballet is to “encourage dance as an accessible and vital art form, to promote outreach education by facilitating the development of important life skills through the discipline of dance…”
Nirewicz’ goals for the production, which coincide well with the company’s, were accomplished in Friday night’s performance.
“What I wanted to accomplish was what just happened,” he said. “To rally the community behind this production, to make it a big deal in Aiken.”
High school junior and Aiken Civic Ballet dancer, Patrick Grant, portrayed Igor, Waltz Gentleman and a Townsperson. Though he has only been dancing seriously for two and a half years, Grant said that the art form is important to him.
“My life was never my life until I was able to dance,” he said. “I’ve only been taking ballet intensively for one and a half years,” he said.
He also said that the Aiken Civic Ballet helped him discover his love for dance.
“…I had to realize that even though I’m here and I’m stressed and I’m competing against all these other dancers…that this is what makes me happy and that is why I’m doing it.”
In line with their mission of community outreach, the Aiken Civic Ballet has taught preschoolers as part of an after-school program and has performed at the YMCA. They recently performed Dracula for school-age children across the CSRA at the Etherredge Center.
The Aiken Civic Ballet and Nirewicz will return to the Etherredge Center to perform the Nutcracker this December. Tickets are available through the box office.
Photo courtesy of Aiken Civic Ballet Company.
