Two Clinton county high school seniors will bring the art they have honed for a combined 20 years to the Rodney B. Wilson Auditorium stage on April 15. St. Johns senior David Pastula and Laingsburg senior Lea-Janell Mitchell and the cast of Happendance 2 will present an evening of contemporary concert dance in support of the auditorium renovation.
Pastula has pursued many pastimes including hockey, cross-country, band, science Oympiad and dance. Previously a member of the Children’s Ballet Theatre of Michigan, David expanded his dance experience to include contemporary dance.
“This is a completely different way of moving,” says Pastula. “This kind of training builds great physical strength and helps with all kinds of athleticism. Plus, it’s great to bring the show to St. Johns to support the auditorium renovation.” Pastula will study astrophysics at MSU this fall and plans to dance for life.
For Mitchell, contemporary dance is all about expression. “This lets me explore dance more emotionally,” says Mitchell. “It gives me a lot of room to express myself and to really understand the powerful force dance can be.” Mitchell currently dances with two pre-professional companies, Happendance 2 and the Children’s Ballet Theatre of Michigan, and will study dance at the Hartt School at the University of Hartford.
Happendance 2 is a select group of dancers ranging from 12 to 18 years old. Mentored by the Happendance Professional Company, the junior company is dedicated to learning and performing a variety of dance styles.
Catch the concert Friday, April 15 at 7 p.m. Tickets are available at the door for $5 (children under 5 admitted free). Proceeds will be split between the Wilson Auditorium Renovation Project and Happendance 2.