ON THEIR TOES – YOUNG DANCERS TAKE THE STAGE WITH MOSCOW BALLET PROS

BY PATTI SMITH PHOTOS BY RICK COOPER

Natalie Zamiska’s heart raced inside her chest as she watched the ballerinas effortlessly twirl and leap across the stage. The 11-year-old dancer waited nervously from behind the curtain knowing that soon it would be time for her to join them.
Dancers from the Moscow Ballet have come to Panama City for years on their “Great Russian Nutcracker” tour and always invite ballet students from ages 8 to 17 to participate in their performance at the Marina Civic Center. Natalie was one of 45 young dancers who auditioned for a part.

“I was very nervous. It was crazy. I didn’t want to mess up and get yelled at from backstage,” says Natalie, who played a “party girl” in the party scene. Her sister, Olivia, played a “snowflake” and a “Chinese girl.”
“We had all these cool moves, and it made people laugh,” Olivia said.

Both girls are students at Tonie’s Dance Workshop. Owner Tonie Bense works with the Moscow Ballet when they come to town and opens her studio to any young talent that want to audition. Her teachers run mandatory rehearsals every Sunday afternoon eight weeks prior to the performance and students rehearse all day the day of the show.

“It’s a powerful opportunity to see these dancers up close and personal,” Tonie says. “They don’t speak English, so there is little communication.”

Being a part of the performance takes more commitment than desire. Occasionally, there have been students who have been asked to step away because of missed rehearsals.

“It’s a learning experience, and they have to be really sharp to do it. They have to have at least a couple of years of experience in dance,” Tonie says. “We can’t take a novice that hasn’t had any dance experience.”

Emma Hunter, 16, dreams of dancing on Broadway. She has seen about 15 Broadway shows including Aladdin, Hamilton and Something Rotten—her favorites.

When Tonie posted a notice about auditioning for the Moscow Ballet’s 2014 performance, Emma wanted to experience what it was like to dance alongside professionals. The most difficult part, Emma says, was “keeping up with them. They were amazing.”

She loved the experience so much that she auditioned again for the 2015 show. “I learned a lot by watching the other dancers. They know what they are doing,” Emma says. “Everything they did was so precise. They looked very graceful.”
Natalie and Olivia’s mom, Angela Zamiska, is pleased her daughters had the opportunity to perform with a professional dance company. She knows it is a chance most ballet dancers are not afforded in all their years of dancing.

Watching her daughters on the big stage was a moving experience for her and her husband, Matthew.

“It’s one thing to see your child perform at normal recitals, but to see them perform with adults—people that perform professionally—this is their job. This is their life work. It was very overwhelming,” Angela says. “Most children in dance are never going to go on to become a professional. They got a chance to see what that life could be like.”

The experience, however, has not swayed Natalie or Olivia to want to pursue a professional dance career. They are just in it for the fun.

As for Emma, the experience has fueled her desire for a ballet career all the more. One day, perhaps she’ll see her dream realized, and we’ll see her on Broadway.

[author image=”https://www.panamacityliving.com/media/2014/07/Patti-Smith.jpg” ]Patti Smith is an award-winning professional writer and editor with more than 25 years experience in U.S. markets including Metropolitan areas of Connecticut, California, Indiana, Kentucky and Florida. She currently writes columns, features and faith testimonies for local and national publications. She believes everyone has a story to tell and that others’ lives may be changed or enriched by reading it. She is married to a devoted husband, mother to three amazing children and grandmother to one precious grandchild.[/author]