A “Kaleidoscope of Dance” will be on display this weekend when 93 Island Dance Academy dancers take the stage to showcase new skills and techniques developed over the year.
Island Dance Academy producer Suen Hughes started directing the “Kaleidoscope” shows in 1996 to give her dancers the chance to perform on stage outside of a full-length ballet to show off their talent and stage presence to an audience.
Hughes and instructor Megan Kimata are co-directors for this year’s show and have spent six months planning and implementing all the details for the performances. Kimata and fellow instructor Kira Okazaki created all the original choreography for the tap, jazz and ballet dances.
Island Dance Academy, or IDA, interchanges its annual show between “Kaleidoscope” and a storybook full-length ballet. Last year, the dancers performed “Sleeping Beauty” after a four-year hiatus due to the pandemic.
“Since there is not a set storyline. ‘Kaleidoscope’ allows teacher and students to create different pieces that don’t need to go together. The kids really enjoy that,” Kimata said. “To prepare for this show, each class is learning how to perform in different styles, portray different emotions and play different characters, which is a lot of fun.”
This year, three high school seniors, Jada Leite, Akane Todd and Tiffany Yamashita, will be honored as they take their final bow as dancers with IDA.
“Some of our dancers make their debut at age 4 and have been with us for several years,” Kimata said. “After senior year, most of them go off to college, or pursue other things, so we try to prepare them for that transition as best we can.”
Before this weekend’s performances, nine of IDA’s advanced pointe dancers appeared in West Hawaii Dance Theater’s production of the classical ballet, “Giselle,” on Saturday, May 18, at the Kahilu Theater.
“We have a nice collaboration with West Hawaii and will often put on workshops together,” Kimata said. “It’s nice being able to have another academy for our dancers to experience and vice versa.”
There will be two performances of the “Kaleidoscope of Dance” at the University of Hawaii at Hilo Performing Arts Center with an evening show at 7 p.m. Saturday and a matinee show at 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets will be $25 at the door.
IDA offers beginning, intermediate and advanced levels of jazz, tap and ballet at its studio in Hilo. Enrollment for the summer session is still open with classes beginning Tuesday, June 11, through Thursday, July 27.
For more information about tuition and class schedules, visit islanddanceacademy.com