‘Original Works’ to return at last to Kay White Hall
Published 1:30 am Wednesday, March 9, 2022
The weeks preceding a show are known by dancers of all styles and levels to hold the same sparkling build of anticipation as an approaching summer break or the eve of a long-awaited holiday.
However this year, the lead-up to Vashon Center for Dance’s (VCD) “Original Works 2022,” an annual program at Vashon Center for the Arts, has been even more exciting than usual.
Returning live to the Kay White Hall at Vashon Center for the Arts for the first time since 2019, “Original Works” will be performed at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 18, and Saturday, March 19..
A particularly mature and textured array of solos, duets, and large group pieces, this year’s show will include a combination of VCD student and faculty choreography that showcases VCD’s most experienced dancers along with other guest student dancers from additional island studios.
“To watch dancers finding their true selves is one of the greatest rewards for me,” said Vanesa Wylie, long-time VCD faculty member and artistic director of the dance concert. “There is no wrong way to dance, we all have our own groove, and it’s important for the dance world to grow and stay alive through unique beings who have found their true voice through movement.”
Student choreographers include VCD’s Sadie Choo, Anna Thompson, and senior Arianna Vickers.
Vickers has exceeded expectations by choreographing a total of three new pieces.
“The experience of choreographing three pieces simultaneously has taught me to think in different ways. Each piece is in a very different style and I have learned to push my choreographic boundaries,” Vickers said.
Instructed, coached, and encouraged by Wylie, VCD director of Dance Vadne White; and VCA alumna and faculty members, student choreographers and performers continue to surpass themselves with ever-expanding levels of creativity, dedication, and professionalism.
“As an annual program, ‘Original Works’ allows VCD’s resident choreographers and advanced composition students time and space to create a body of work that is personal, relevant, and thought-provoking,” White said “Their ability to create is tireless. Lives are depicted in the steps. Joy is embodied in the movement.”
As the show approaches, VCD dancers and directors have also worked with VCA’s theater team, including event planner Crissy Baker and technical director Jesse Bell, to ensure that this year’s show moves without a hitch from studio to stage.
“’Original Works’ was pioneered over a decade ago, and we are proud to continue the tradition,” White said. “It’s value to the growth of our art form is measureless.”
Tickets are available at vashoncenterforthearts.org or by calling the box office at
— Madeline Morser is the assistant director of “Original Works 2022.”
