SNHYB Performed at National RDA Festival in April

For the second year, Southern New Hampshire Youth Ballet performed in a Regional Dance America Festival. In April 2007, several company dancers aaccompanied by director Patricia Lavoie traveled to Pittsburg, PA for a week long festival including master classes, seminars, and performances. This year’s festival was particularly exciting as this spring RDA celebrated 50 years with a National Festival. SNHYB joined other youth companies from all over the country to participate in this second-ever National Festival. SNHYB company members were enthused to spend a week with over two thousand other serious young dancers. “This was my third year going to RDA, and I couldn’t wait to go again because it has always been such a great experience,” said company member Lauren Thomas, 16.

At the official adjudication in February, Robyn Goulette’s original work The Prayer Basket was selected to be performed in one of the five nightly performances at the Festival. The Prayer Basket features seven female company dancers and is set to Romance for Strings Orchestra by Gerald Finzi. “I was very excited to have this piece selected for the festival,” said Goulette. “I am so proud of the dancers and what they gave of themselves through the dance. They were amazingly focused and did their absolute best performance at the adjudication. The rehearsal process was also extremely rewarding. I saw each dancer grow and add dramatic value to the piece.” Goulette, a faculty member and choreographer at SNHDT, was inspired by the biblical quotation “Blessed shall be your basket…” from Deuteronomy 28:5. In this work, the dancers perform holding baskets, which Goulette sees as a symbol for life as sometimes our basket seems full and our prayers answered, and other times we feel as though our basket is empty. “I believe this piece is my personal story being told by some of the most talented dancers I’ve ever worked with. I am confident these gifted dancers will be a valuable addition to the festival in Pittsburg,” said Goulette.

The cast was equally excited about The Prayer Basket being selected for the performance lineup. Meredith LaRocque, 15, who performed in the piece, said, “ It’s going to be a great experience dancing on a huge stage in front of other dancers from all over the country.” SNHYB dancers represented a wide geographic area at the National Festival as SNHYB was the only company from NH and, in fact, from all of New England to perform at the Festival.

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