Ballet Northwest's The Sleeping Beauty, photo by Jerome Tso

Into the Woods for Ballet Northwest’s The Sleeping Beauty

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS For those familiar with the classic fairy tale — or Disney’s animated takes on it — Ballet Northwest’s The Sleeping Beauty has a few surprises. After the wicked fairy curses her, after she pricks her finger on a spindle, after a kiss ends her long sleep, the Aurora of …

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Young Arts Ambassadors, 2016

Young Arts Ambassador Youth Showcase

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS The arts are for everyone to create and to enjoy. The Washington Center for the Performing Arts’s Young Arts Ambassadors are learning about the arts from the inside out, and they’ll share their knowledge and creations at a showcase this Saturday. A benefit for the program, the showcase features …

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Giselle at Studio West Dance Theatre

Studio West Dance Theatre Presents Giselle

by Nora Kovacs for OLY ARTS Studio West Dance Theatre presents ballet classic Giselle, an adventurous choice for the studio and an emotionally effervescent piece certain to leave audiences filled with joy and energy. From love and the supernatural to vengeance and forgiveness, the ballet spans a multitude of universal themes. Director Stephanie Wood-Ennett spoke …

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Samba Olywa

2017: The Tigers of Samba Olywa

by Christian Carvajal for OLY ARTS Samba dancing began as semba in Angola, then evolved into its modern form in early-20th-century Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Olympia’s resident samba troupe, Samba Olywa, united to dance in Procession of the Species 1995. Now it performs several times a year under the direction of a seven-member steering committee. …

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Out on a Limb dancers, photo by Josolynn Jones

Experimental Choreography at Out on a Limb

by Molly Gilmore for OLY ARTS Out on a Limb, Olympia’s second-annual showcase for experimental dance, promises some surprises, a few chills and a chance to be part of the dance. The event, curated by members of the Random Acts of Dance Collective and Company Y, features a diverse selection of work inspired by butoh, …

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Studio West Dance Theatre

Studio West Dances to Make a Difference

by Kelli Samson for OLY ARTS Olympia’s Studio West Dance Theatre and Guild provide an enchanting opportunity each year for the community to enjoy an evening of fine food and dance. All proceeds from the annual Dance to Make a Difference gala go to a local charity. Now in its ninth year, the gala’s chosen …

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Oliver Wevers

Whim W’Him Contemporary Dance

by Christina Butcher for OLY ARTS Seattle contemporary dance company Whim W’Him comes to the Minnaert Center for the Arts as part of the South Puget Sound Community College Artist and Lecture Series. The dance company will perform one of its newest programs, SENSATION, under artistic director Olivier Wevers. “This is our first time in …

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Jill Carter’s Land of Sweets (Complete Interview)

READ PRINT ARTICLE HERE >> COMPLETE INTERVIEW BELOW >> by Ned Hayes for OLY ARTS Here’s a holiday story: Once upon a time, a talented, young woman began a ballet class but fell in love with the scenery instead of the dancing. That was merely the beginning of her story. Jill Carter was fortunate to …

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