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The YMCA dance program holds its performance season January- May. Over 50 local dancers ranging in age from three to adult will perform dance routines in the upcoming recital in ballet, jazz and tap. Dancers have been learning choreography under the instruction of Christine Curtis, Breana Johnson and Lenna Stever- Sobanja over the past several months and will be putting on a show for the community. The annual performance will take place at the Arrowhead Center for the Arts on May 19 (6-8 p.m.), May 20 and May 21 (7-9 p.m.). All the songs this year are the work of female artists. Tickets are $12.50 for adults and $7 for youth. Tickets are on sale now at www.tix.com/ticket-sales/ YMCA/15
Learn more about the choreographers and their creative process:
Christine Curtis started dancing at the age of four and has not stopped since. She has studied ballet, tap, jazz, pointe, lyrical, theatrical, and modern under variety of teachers in Iowa and Minnesota, and after moving to Grand Marais, she expanded her love for dance with Renee Moe and Sterling Dance. She has studied under and taught for Sterling Dance and the Lenna Stever Dance Company. She has been teaching with the Y since they opened. Christine’s creative process usually involves dancing around her living room dodging kids, cats, and furniture. She pulls inspiration for her dancing from music and emotions. She hopes both the dancer and the audience are able to connect to her dances. Christine strongly believes dance is for everyone and encourages anyone with an interest to try it out.
Breana’s creative process involves dancing around her living room and kitchen. Sometimes she’ll choreograph a dance from the beginning of the song and work her way to the end. Other times, she starts with the chorus and then choreographs the rest of the song after. She pulls her inspiration from the song lyrics, as well as her emotions.
Lenna Stever-Sobanja began dancing as a little girl with Sterling Dance in Grand Marais. She went on to study at the University of Minnesota, Zenon Dance School and Maple Street Dance. She founded Lenna Stever Dance in Grand Marais, MN in 2011; she currently teaches with and studies under Christine Curtis and Breana Johnson at the Cook County YMCA. For Lenna, dance is the perfect blend of self-expression, creativity, physicality and camaraderie. When creating choreography, she works with several elements: emotional and mental themes, musical themes, and the presence of the dancers themselves. The product is much more than bodies moving around a space— each movement she choreographs is an intentional expression of something.
For all of the dance instructors, their hope is that once their piece is performed in front of an audience, those in attendance will feel something, enjoy it, and connect in some way to the piece. The YMCA would like to thank all of the dancers, parents, instructors, and event sponsors. This event will be sponsored by Cascade Lodge, Coldwell Banker, Cook County Whole Foods Co-Op, Grand Marais Family Dentistry, Grand Marais Lions Club, Grand Marais State Bank, and Joynes Ben Franklin.
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