Another festival and Springfield tradition will occur on Sunday, July 6 with the 59th consecutive performance by the Springfield Symphony Orchestra (SSO) that will include a collaboration with another group of local performers.
Admission is free. The festival is presented by the Springfield Arts Council.
GGDC and OPAI teamed a year ago for a well-received program on popular music artists and this year will bring dance to the front of the stage. This is a chance to see many dancers who are honing their skills here and could go onto bigger things in the future.
“There are so many professional dance companies across the country who put on summer dance performances in their communities. How lucky that we are able to be a part of the Summer Arts Festival here in Springfield,” said Celina Schroer, GGDC artistic director and ballet mistress of the Gary Geis School of Dance.
Both sides are appreciative of the chance to dance together, as it not only shows the strength of local arts programs, but the performers enjoy being among peers.
“We are excited to have the opportunity to dance in the park with Gary Geis Dance Company again this year,” said OPAI owner and ballet mistress Amy Davidge. “Our set list will include some fun and high-energy numbers to songs about or set in locations around the world. We appreciate the opportunity to showcase the professional-level dance training in our community and give our students another opportunity to present their talents and passion for dance.”
Schroer said she teaches that the arts are collaborative and last year her dancers had a wonderful time supporting new friends throughout the performance.
“As dancers, we work with so many talented people to put on stunning performances. When you combine more than one arts organization it creates a sense of welcoming and inclusion for everyone involved,” she said. “We received so much positive feedback from the community that it just made sense to bring this collaboration back for a second year.”This is the second opportunity for four Geis dancers at the festival, following a performance in the recent Broadway in the Park production of “Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.” Schroer said given the pre-professional dance company preps dancers for a career or lifelong appreciation of dance, it’s a natural step, as it was the first musical performance for two of them, and had a great experience, which they would never have had without the chance to collaborate.
“All performance opportunities are a chance for dancers to put themselves out there and be a part of something bigger than themselves,” she said. “By giving my students a diverse range of performance opportunities, it exposes them to aspects of the arts community that they may not organically be drawn to.”
The SSO has built its own legend and will be joined by another group of such known as The Legends of Springfield, a group of hometown performers with deep local roots that go back as far as the 1970s including The Pleasure Seekers, The Pure Pleasure Band and The Champion City Trio.
The SSO playlist will include music from one of the biggest recent movies, “Wicked” and one of the classics, whose lead character will return to cinemas this summer, “Superman March” by John Williams.
The Legends of Springfield will take on “Superstition,” “September” and “I’m Every Woman.”
The festival will also see a pair of returning favorites this week. Brass Tracks Band will play the tunes of the great horn bands of the 1960s through today such as Chicago, Earth Wind & Fire, Stevie Wonder and more on Thursday, July 3.
After Thursday’s show, attendees are welcome to watch the annual Clark County fireworks display right from their seats on the amphitheater grounds. There will be no show on Friday, July 4 due to the Independence Day holiday.
Bring out the Hawaiian shirts and flip-flops as the amphitheater will become Margaritaville on Saturday, July 5 for Jimmy Buffett tribute Parrots of the Caribbean.
All shows begin at 8 p.m. Attendees can set up lawn furniture and blankets beginning at 6 a.m. the day of a show and must have them removed at the end of the evening’s performance.
For more information on the festival, go to www.facebook.com/SpringfieldArtsCouncil/.
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