As 13-year-old Elise Hamlin stood behind the curtain waiting to begin her first recital as a leading performer, she knew she was ready.
The High Springs Community School eighth grader landed her role as Gretel, one of three leads in the Sun Country Dance Theatre’s original ballet “Hansel and Gretel,” in August. The ballet was reimagined by the nonprofit pre-professional dance company, and the young dancer had the role adapted to fit her, a unique opportunity she said she was excited to explore. Gretel was Hamlin’s first lead role, and it inspired her to pursue her dreams of starring as Anne Boleyn in the Broadway show Six.
The spring recital, which usually takes place in April, was pushed forward several months to accommodate the venue, which had one available date: Feb. 23. At 2:30 p.m., the curtains rose at the Curtis M. Phillips Center for the Performing Arts, and the 17th Annual Spring Youth Concert began. Audiences saw the story of Hansel and Gretel along with several other pieces choreographed for the students.
Along with five of her classmates in the advanced group, Hamlin had been preparing for this show for seven months.
The class as a whole said they were nervous about their quick changes, as the time in between each new costume was slim. Despite this fear, Hamlin said sometimes the pressure helped her.
“I don't have to stress about the dances that I'm about to do because when I do a quick change, I don't have time to think about that,” she said.
Like Hamlin, The team’s artistic director and founder of the non-profit theater troupe, 66-year-old Judy Benton, also didn’t have much time to be nervous. As the show’s main choreographer, she took charge, pouring over music, choosing dancers and creating choreography, all within two less months than expected. She imagined Hansel and Gretel as something more fun, she said, so she had to rework the story.
For Adelle Hamlin, Elise’s older sister and the cotton candy witch, working under pressure is no mystery. The 16-year-old Santa Fe High School junior has danced in Benton’s class for the last nine years.
As she prepared to take the stage as a lead, Adelle Hamlin had a sense of reassurance by her side: Clarissa Du. She’s danced with the 18-year-old Buchholz High School senior since the third grade and said the two are like sisters.
“You spend way more time with each other than like a team school sport,” she said. “It’s dance classes, then dance rehearsals, and then the dress rehearsals and the actual show.”
As a graduating senior, Du said she’s emotional about this, her last spring show in which she danced a solo as the dream fairy. Heading off to the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in the Fall, she said she plans to study in the biomedical field while pursuing a dance minor.
Although nearly every performer expressed a passion for dance, Du isn’t the only one who isn’t sure dance is their future career. Ella Herb, a 15-year-old Eastside High School sophomore, starred as Hansel in the story ballet, but she said she doubts dance is the star of her story. Herb said she loves UF’s college of dance and feels lucky whenever she gets the chance to take a class there. Although she will continue to dance, Herb doesn’t plan to pursue it as a career. She said she worries about the financial aspect, and wants to make a difference in the nutrition industry instead.
“I gotta make bank,” she said.
Bethlen Strauch, a 14-year-old Florida Virtual School freshman and the show’s Raven also said she loves going to UF and Santa Fe dance classes. She said all the dancers feel connected, even though the young dancers only take a few classes there each year. Strauch doesn’t yet know whether she wants to dance professionally or teach dance, but she does know one thing.
“I just want to dance,” she said.
Claire Silvestri, a 14-year-old Buchholz High School freshman, also just wants to dance. The young dancer played the role of the Nightingale, performing quick and difficult turns in her light blue tutu and costume, which she said made her feel like a professional dancer.
“The solo was made for me, so it was exciting to do something I was comfortable with,” Silvestri said.
The show was just one day only, and the theater was filled with about 500 parents, friends and sponsors of the dance troupe. After the completion of the recital, many spectators stuck around to congratulate Judy Benton, the artistic director, including parents of her former students. Benton said having students and their parents come back to see her is the best part.
“I’m proud of the dancers,” Benton said while dismantling the prop pieces, already preparing for the next show.
Contact Rachel Mish at rmisch@alligator.org. Follow her on X @mish_rache62827.
Rachel Mish is a junior English and business major and the Fall 2024 Food Reporter for The Avenue. In her free time, she enjoys playing pick-up basketball or sewing a gameday outfit.
