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PrintSouth Tulsa Children's Ballet dances to a holiday suite
South Tulsa Children’s Ballet welcomes young dancers of all skill levels.
Dancing as the Sugar Plum Fairy, Snow Queen, Dew Drop Fairy or Clara from “The Nutcracker” may seem like a dream to many aspiring ballerinas.
As director of the South Tulsa Children’s Ballet (STCB), Pamela Farry-Haden makes these fairy tale roles a reality for any girl who desires to dance the suite.
Farry-Haden, also owner of the Dance Pointe studio, organized the nonprofit dance company eight years ago after realizing the need for more roles and fewer restrictions for children who wanted to dance in the holiday production — no matter their skill level.
“I really wanted to create a company that was geared solely for the purpose of educating local kids in a true professional ballet atmosphere,” she says. “For example, every kid gets a part. They can come in a wheelchair and they’ll get a part.”
Besides providing her studio for STCB rehearsals, Farry-Haden also donates her time, along with five other dance teachers, to choreographing “The Children’s Nutcracker,” which boasts a cast of 400 young dancers ranging from age 4 to seniors in high school. Dancers rehearse every Saturday and Sunday afternoon for four hours beginning the second weekend in September.
“We cast four times (for four performances) so we give more kids opportunities to get a part,” Farry-Haden says.
STCB is free to the public, and the only requirement is that performers must be enrolled in a dance or gymnastics program. STCB gives scholarships to students from participating studios that have at least four dancers in the STCB. The studios then use the scholarships for the children’s dance tuitions.
Juanita Torres, 15, says she’s excited to perform for the first time with the company as a Dew Drop Fairy in the same show as her 7-year-old sister, Sarita, who is cast as a Baby Angel.
“Sarita has Down syndrome, and South Tulsa Children’s Ballet accepted that and let her be part of it,” Juanita says. “They give them an opportunity no matter what (skill) level they are.”
Farry-Haden says all of her performers enhance the production with their individual talent and passion for dance.
“There is a place for everybody in this ballet,” she says. “And if there hasn’t been one, then we’ll create one.”
Dec. 4-6 — “The Children’s Nutcracker” 7 p.m., Friday, Saturday; 2 p.m., Saturday, Sunday. VanTrease Performing Arts Center for Education, 10300 E. 81st St. Presented by South Tulsa Children’s Ballet. Tickets: $10, $15, $20. Visit www.southtulsachildrensballet.org.
