Clara’s Dream – NH dance photography
December 22, 2009
For those of you who thought tap dance was old-fashioned, stodgy, or simply people clicking away on a stage…WRONG!
A couple of night’s ago I had the opportunity to photograph a performance of Clara’s Dream, a jazz and tap rendition of The Nutcracker produced by Maine dancer and artistic director Drika Overton. The costumes were stunning, the stage lighting and set design phenomenal, the band tremendous…but all paled in comparison to the dancers. They could have put this show on on your local street corner and it still would have been mind-blowing.
From a photographer’s perspective, it was like being a kid in a candy store – almost impossible to choose what to shoot – there were visual delights stage left, stage right, and center stage. If you took the time to look away fro the spotlit dance, all sorts of subtle dances were happening in the background. I’ve never seen anything like it.
My suggestion – send Drika an email (http://www.jazzandtap.com/ ) and beg her to bring the show back in 2010. The show was first performed in 2000, and its been on vacation since 2006. Don’t let it go back into mothballs again – the 6 musicians and 20 dancersw are a must see-must hear. After insuring its return, Mark it on your calendar, and make sure not to miss this show – it could – and should – be the start of a new holiday tradition!
And support it. Without money, the arts are just a footnote in a textbook. Don’t let that happen to this one-of-a-kind show. It’s too great to slip away.
Here’s a slideshow of some of the highlights of Clara’s Dream.
I concur. Definately do want to keep this Dream alive. We’ll need a lot more voices than ours however, it costs a pretty penny to mount of show of this quality. Please keep me posted.
I loved these shots of the production and the most obvious positives are th3 wonderful colors and the spirit of the cast. I am so sorry I didn’t have a chance to see the production. Perhaps next year and I hope so. Ern Hanscom
PICTURES WERE DELIGHTFUL. I AM A FRIEND OF DEAN DIGGINS, SO I HAVE BEEN KEEPING UP ON THIS SHOW FOR YEARS. I NOW RESIDE IN FLORIDA AFTER BEING RAISED IN IOWA(LIKE DEAN) THANKS FOR SHARING