Stepping Out
Community Dance Company Gives its Debut Performance
DCSR, a new dance company, will premiere One Step at a Time at Buena High School in Ventura this weekend. Zach Johnson, the artistic director and founder of DCSR, created the group recently after putting together a production of Moulin Rouge for Buena High. After the production was finished, the teenagers who had been involved in the show still wanted to dance, but did not have the training or a studio to go to. Johnson decided to fill the void, and held open auditions for a new company in the fall. Out of 50 who auditioned, 17 were chosen to become part of the inaugural group.
Johnson sees DCSR as unique among dance groups in the area because of its emphasis on storytelling, and because of the varied experience of its members, who range in age from 16 to 40. According to Johnson, DCSR’s pieces tend to focus more on communicating to the audience than relying heavily on technique-they want to see what dance can say, not just show the public what they can do. In the process, the company draws on acting and on a wide range of dance styles, including hip hop, ballet, jazz, swing, contemporary, lyrical, and musical theater.
One Step at a Time will mark the group’s first public performance. Johnson was inspired to create the show after seeing the movie Alphie and falling in love with the soundtrack. He originally planned to create the piece around the soundtrack and base it on some ideas he had been toying with since school. But the piece eventually grew into something more. One Step at a Time follows a boy through his life, chronicling his search for love and the mistakes he makes along the way. In keeping with Johnson’s original idea, the piece is performed to tracks by a variety of musical artists, including Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, and Mick Jagger. The show will benefit the drama department at Buena High School and feature guest performers from the Billy Clower dance studio and the Foothill dance team. With such an eclectic soundtrack and a moving story, One Step at a Time is sure to entertain.
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One Step at a Time plays this weekend, May 16-18, at 7:30 p.m. on Friday and Sunday and at 2pm on Saturday and Sunday. Tickets can be purchased at the door. Buena High School is located at 5670 Telegraph Road, Ventura. For more information, call 801-8294.
