Courtesy of COCA
While some people usher in the holiday season with a showing of The Nutcracker or A Christmas Carol, others turn to the Center of Creative Arts (COCA) for their holiday standby, The Little Dancer. But this year’s performance is getting a makeover.
The Little Dancer: Moments in Time is the brainchild of renowned choreographer and creative director Kevin Jenkins. The new iteration will be a full-length classical ballet performed by members of Ballet Eclectica from December 8 to 11.
Where The Little Dancer solely followed the character Marie, Moments in Time will instead focus on multiple young dancers, looking back from the edge of childhood. “When I was thinking about what moments and events to highlight, I thought, What a beautiful thing to look back and have the little dancer not be one person that travels through childhood but to be a multitude of different dance areas,” Jenkins says. The audience will experience the collective memories of the dancers on stage at various important moments in their lives. Voiceovers from the dancers themselves are also featured in the show’s new soundtrack.
Courtesy of COCA
After years of putting on the same show, Antonio Douthit-Boyd, artistic director of COCA’s dance program, thought it was time to reconsider the classic story as the organization emerged from the pandemic. He wanted to think about the performance in a new way, one that could update the program and turn it into something new for the next decade.
So, Douthit-Boyd asked Jenkins if he would like to work on the project, initiating what would become Moments in Time. Jenkins interviewed each of the dancers, who are between 10 and 18 years old, to ask about the memories that define their childhoods. Building on those ideas, he created the intimate storyline and connected it back to the COCA community.
While watching the emotional performance, audience members may reflect upon their own childhoods, whether they are lifelong dancers or simply lovers of the art form.
“It’s so many touching moments that I never would have thought of because it would have been limited to my own experience,” Jenkins says. “And it’s now the experience of 30 kids and myself.”
Dancing Through Life
Kevin Jenkins recenters The Little Dancer: Moments in Time using the stories of dancers themselves.
To reimagine COCA's holiday staple, The Little Dancer, choreographer Kevin Jenkins decided to craft a show that follows the lives of multiple dancers, drawing inspiration from their personal memories. After interviewing each member of Ballet Eclectica, Jenkins formulated an intimate, moving storyline. While some are expected pivotal moments—a first dance class or dancing with their mother—others are less obvious, but equally special, memories. “You’ll hear a dancer talking about how growing up she used to ride in the car with her grandfather, and they listened to Elvis,” Jenkins says. Seven dancers will make their way through the realm of memories to tell the story. Artistic director Antonio Douthit-Boyd says it’s an emotional journey that should appeal to all: “To hear these young people’s stories and to know that we all have these stories…of that first time when we walked into an art space, it’s going to be amazing.”
