Community collaboration is one of those things we like to say we do well in Columbus. From my perch at Heritage Fund, I always encourage more of it and vent frustration when it doesn’t happen — for the simple reason that collaboration always makes things better.
The recent community performance of “The Nutcracker” was a terrific reminder of the power of collaboration to turn a nice event into something really special.
One of my favorite year-end traditions is enjoying the local Dancers Studio’s production of the classical ballet. Studio founder, the late Alma Wiley, had a vision of bringing dance to the community with teaching and performance. She left quite a legacy around both.
Alma insisted that Dancers Studio be a nonprofit organization with a community-based board of directors. That was a departure from the more traditional privately owned studios and spoke volumes about how Alma saw the importance of dance being widely accessible and appreciated by the community. For those who want to donate in Alma’s memory, Heritage Fund holds a scholarship to help Dancers Studio students afford training.
It is no easy feat to produce an annual “Nutcracker”! In addition to dancers, lots of volunteers are needed to create costumes, coordinate rehearsal schedules, rent space, build scenery, sell tickets and on and on. Alma made it happen, year after year. And so many dancers and community performers, like me as Clara’s Mom, made fabulous memories and friends while putting on a pretty good show.
This past December, the Dancers Studio “Nutcracker” took community collaboration to a whole new level. The Columbus Indiana Philharmonic performed live, allowing the audience to appreciate the beautiful Tchaikovsky score in person. Music director Isaac Selya’s partnership with Dancers Studio took a local dance performance and turned it into a remarkable theatrical performance. Imagine dancing with a live orchestra! Then, to make it even better, The Columbus Indiana Childrens Choir also appeared at the end of the first act, adding beautiful children’s voices.
A highlight of the show is always guest artists dancing the roles of the Sugar Plum Fairy and the Nutcracker Prince. Jacqueline Hodek, of the Indianapolis Ballet, returned to her hometown studio as a professional ballerina in the Sugar Plum Fairy role. She was fantastic. Graceful, beautiful and so very gracious to her many fans like me, who remember when she danced the role of young Clara. Jacqueline stands as a testament to the quality of our local dance training.
Alma was a friend of mine, and I cannot help but think how very proud she would be of the talented dancers she developed and also of the community support and collaboration that together created a very memorable event.
Tracy Souza is president and CEO of Heritage Fund – The Community Foundation of Bartholomew County. Contact the fund at 812-376-7772 to learn more about how they can help you do “Your Philanthropy. Your Way.” Send comments to [email protected].
