Members of the Barefoot Dance Studio in Rapid City are teaming up with other artists to teach the public about some of the First Ladies of the United States. “The First Ladies Performing Arts Walking Tour” takes place in downtown Rapid City tonight at select statues of the presidents. The project has goals of both education and entertainment.
Shapeera Good Star is an instructor at the Barefoot Dance Studio. She says this year’s Team Camp summer group project was named by the girls involved.
“It is called The First Ladies Performing Arts Walking Tour,” Good Star explains. “They found First ladies throughout history that inspired them. Right now what they’re doing is they’re getting some information and getting some facts on these ladies. And as they’re doing that they’re kind of finding things about her that inspire movement…that will inspire them to dance.”
As I visit the studio 10 girls are rehearsing in small groups to present a dance interpretation of what they’ve discovered about “their” First Ladies.
“For instance,” recalls Good Star, “...one of them was a Broadway performer…so a couple of the girls are like…’Let’s do Broadway!”
Those girls would be 12-year old Hannah and 11-year old Grace.
“We’re doing like a Broadway type dance ‘cause she was a Broadway dancer at a kinda young age,” says Hannah.
“She lived in…Oklahoma?” wonders Grace, before correcting herself. “New York.”
But Hannah has already chimed in. “No…she was born in New York.”
“And she moved to Los Angeles at a young age,” continues Grace.
Finding out just who that person was is what the “The First Ladies Performing Arts Walking Tour” is all about.
At least one musical First Lady Honoree is scheduled along with the dancers.
The Barefoot Dance Studio performers have chosen 5 of Rapid City’s 42 presidential statues for the spots where they’ll put their movements into motion.
They include Abraham Lincoln, Gerald Ford, John F. Kennedy, James Buchanan and Ronald Reagan.
Related links:
TOUR THE CITY OF PRESIDENTS IN DOWNTOWN
http://www.visitrapidcity.com/things-to-do/city-presidents#.V76W4_krLhl
Barefoot Dance Studio