As the dancers twirled and leaped across the stage and proud parents watched from the audience of Corbet Theatre Saturday night, the annual "Spring into Summer" recital appeared to bear no special distinction from the hundreds of other dance events the Southwest Washington Dance Center has put on during its existence in downtown Chehalis.
But behind the scenes, those involved with the dance center have seen many changes and challenges that have led them to the point they are at today.
In the recent past, SWWDC has had five artistic directors and a constantly changing faculty, along with the struggles of twice being pushed out of performances halls during renovation. Through it all, the dance center has remained true to its art, and has grown and changed along with its surroundings.
But on Saturday night, the performance was only about dance, and dancing to honor the memory of Lucy Shriver, a longtime faculty member at SWWDC who died last year.
The recital featured all the dancers enrolled at the dance center in tap, jazz, creative dance, modern and classical ballet pieces, all put together in a pair of three-hour performances.
Throughout the performances, changes in the center were seen through the little things, most of which could not be understood or noticed by those in the audience.
The floor rolled out after the tap numbers was purchased after a long fund-raising drive. Called "marley," it is one of the few surfaces that is safe for dancers to perform on in their dance shoes. The dance center tried for many months to raise the money necessary to purchase a floor it could take to performances where the floor was not suitable for dancing.
The male dancers present in many of the pieces were not members of the studio until very recently, when Shriver went out into the community to pull in men to partner with the advanced dancers to add another element to their performances. Even after Shriver's death, the men have stayed and continued to dance, some even performing solos on Saturday.
The venue of the new Corbet Theatre has been the home to the spring recital for only a few years. Its first production was at the old Corbet Theatre at Centralia College, then moved to the Centralia High School classitorium, and finally back to its current locale.
Even "The Nutcracker" has moved from its first performance at Chester V. Rhodes Auditorium, Chehalis, when earthquake damaged forced the production to move to Evergreen Theater in Longview for one year and then into the new Corbet Theatre.
Even the music to which the participants danced is a far cry from the classical pieces that were the norm before new directors came in and changed what was considered acceptable in the eyes of the dance center. As a group of girls in pointe shoes and black leotards took the stage, Metallica's sounds came over the speakers as the girls leaped and danced to the untraditional music.
Most people involved with the center can trace the beginnings of change back to when Hugh Bigney took over artistic direction of the studio in 1995 and changed the name from Chehalis Ballet Center to Southwest Washington Dance Center. This was done in order to encompass more dancers in the studio, and thus be able to put on a large-scale performance, "The Nutcracker."
Bigney had been a principal dancer in Pacific Northwest Ballet, and performed the lead part of Her Drosselymeyer in the movie production of "The Nutcracker."
"We couldn't have done 'The Nutcracker' if we were small, so the name change really helped us bring in lots of dancers," said Joe Dolezal.
All three of the Dolezal children have been active in the dance center since they were young, and two performed in Saturday's recital while the oldest is in Las Vegas dancing.
"In a recital a few parents help out with the show. For 'The Nutcracker,' many community members were need to help," said Patty Dolezal.
As the older dancers have learned, the change to a new director causes adaptations within the center.
"Their style and attitude shapes the dance center. As a dancer, the director teaches the upper level so you are directly influenced by their style. The venues that you perform at, the technique, the way you relate to them, it all changes," said Rebecca Greenfield, 19.
Greenfield has danced at the center for 13 years, and was in numerous pieces on Saturday.
A few years after Bigney's departure, Shriver took over artistic direction of the studio and is credited for bringing community members in to help the dance center, as well as making another lasting contribution, bringing the men into the studio to accompany the female dancers.
After Shriver's death, the dance center waited to name a new artistic director, and in April selected Katherine Pycha as the newest director.
But for those older dancers, another director doesn't change much in their eyes. Their passion consists in the art of dancing, and the love they have for it.
"I think I will always dance. After all this time, it is a huge part of my life. It's more than just physical, it's an emotional and spiritual thing. Dance is a huge part of me and I don't want to let it die," said Greenfield.
Ashley Forsyth is an intern in The Chronicle's news department. She may be reached by telephoning 736-3311.
