DALA Celebrates 30th Anniversary This Weekend!

Submitted by Kirsten Laskey (ladp admin)
on May 18, 2023
- 7:22 am

Dance Arts Los Alamos rehearses for its upcoming production of ‘Giselle’. Violet Henderson performs the title role at 7 p.m. Friday at Duane Smith Auditorium. Courtesy/DALA

DALA rehearses for its production of ‘Giselle’ scheduled for 7 p.m. at Duane Smith Auditorium. Courtesy/DALA

By KIRSTEN LASKEY
Los Alamos Daily Post
kirsten@ladailypost.com

Dance Arts Los Alamos (DALA) has a lot to celebrate. It is turning 30 years old, its senior dancers are preparing for the next chapter of their lives and its younger dancers are ready to show off what they have learned this past season.

With so much excitement, DALA staff decided it is time to throw a party. So, 5:15-6:30 p.m. Friday at Fuller Lodge, DALA is hosting a gala. There will be appetizers and beverages as well as an unveiling for DALA’s upcoming season. Following the gala will be DALA’s production of “Giselle” at 7 p.m. at Duane Smith Auditorium. Those who purchase gala tickets will have reserved seats for the ballet. It doesn’t stop there. DALA will host its spring show featuring a mixed repertoire Saturday. The early childhood show will be 2 p.m. and the remaining age groups will perform at 7 p.m. at Duane Smith Auditorium. DALA Artistic Director Jonathan Guise explained the gala is planned to be an annual tradition in the spring.

He described it as an “evening out for the arts and dance enthusiasts in Los Alamos,” adding that the gala “is an opportunity for the community to come out and get to know DALA better.”

It’s also a chance to view DALA’s premiere of “Giselle”. The ballet stars Violet Henderson as Giselle and Sonja Ebey as Myrta. The other principal lead will be performed by professional dancer Christo McMaster of Albuquerque.

Guise said he chose “Giselle” because “(It’s) always been a favorite of mine. It’s a dramatic ballet … the music is beautiful and the story has young love and a bit of tragedy in it. I believe it is every young dancer’s dream to dance in ‘Giselle’ … and I wanted to start out with a bang for our season.”

Work started on “Giselle” in January.

Guise choreographed the show along with DALA instructors Rachel Zervakos and Allison Beaux and Associate Director Katrina Wilder. Additionally, Instructor Leslie Puckett brought in Highland and Scottish dancers. The show will feature new costumes and sets.

“We all came together and tackled this project,” Guise said. “It’s been a blast.”

Fostering teamwork and a close-family atmosphere is part of the reason why DALA has been in business for so long, Guise said.

“We’ve always been good at fostering a professional and family style environment,” he said. “We always support each other, and we have always been there for each other.”

“The past three years have been hard on everyone, but we stuck together, we all believed in each other, and we believed in the loyalty of our community to help us stay around,” Guise added “… Our community has backed us up … we are looking forward to another 30 years.”

During Guise’s tenure at DALA, he said a personal highlight was creating the “Nutcracker on the Hill” series.

“I had the opportunity to create our ‘Nutcracker on the Hill’ series and bring out such a beautiful, classic ballet intertwined with such an amazing historical community,” he said. “I’ve been really proud of it and the kids love it. It’s always fun to sit down, discuss the history … that’s the biggest thing I am proud of. I’m really happy to bring a new level of professional ballet.”

Showcasing a full-length ballet is something Guise said he hopes to do every Spring. Tickets for the gala are $50, this includes the “Giselle” performance. If interested in just attending the ballet, tickets are $20 for general admission, $10 for seniors and $5 for students. Tickets for Saturday’s spring showcase are $10 for general admission and $5 for students and seniors. The 2 p.m. Saturday show will have a $5 admission. Tickets for all the shows and the gala can be purchased through DALA’s social media channels including Facebook and Instagram.