Festival Dance and Performing Arts Association will present the fifth production of their biennial event, “Joy to the World,” at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 2 in the University of Idaho Administration Building Auditorium. Tickets range in price from $10 to $16 and are available through the Festival Dance office and at the door.
Abby Glanville, executive director of Festival Dance, said many different musical and dance groups from around the community perform in the production. This includes the Moscow High School Jazz Choir, the UI Saxophone club, classes from Festival Dance’s academy and more, she said. Glanville said the production includes a broad range of musical and dance styles, and the performers range from age 6 to 18.
“It’s a nice way to start the holidays and to bring the community together,” she said.
Lindsay Johnson, one of Festival Dance’s instructors, said it is important to include performances other than dance because people need to know there’s more than “just one little bubble” in the arts. Johnson said those at Festival Dance want to get people involved and want people to know how important the arts are.
Glanville said there will be a silent auction at the event, and all proceeds from the auction and ticket sales will go toward Festival Dance’s scholarship fund that allows the organization to provide full dance class tuition scholarships for students in need.
“I know how impactful these events are on the lives of young dancers,” Glanville said. “It’s a pretty special thing.”
Johnson said she has seen multiple students benefit from the program. She said some families may not be able to afford it, but the arts can help a student grow in their lives. Johnson said she knows one student in particular who has developed because of a dance scholarship.
“She has grown so much and blossomed into her own individual, and I really think the arts has a big part in that,” she said.
Johnson said “Joy to the World” provides a chance for students to show the hard work they’ve been putting in since early September. She said the production allows students to learn about theater, teamwork and understand performance etiquette. Glanville and Johnson both said the venue is a nice space that compliments the tone of the event.
“The Administration Building has a lovely stage,” Johnson said. “It’s a beautiful old stage that has character.”
Johnson said “Joy to the World” alternates with Festival Dance’s production of “The Nutcracker” each year. The organization also hosts an open house performance, a spring recital and a summer workshop every year. Johnson said members of the organization maintain a consistent dance experience for students in a state that doesn’t have a lot of dance opportunities.
Glanville said “Joy to the World” began because of a desire for Festival Dance to present an event on the UI campus, instead of their usual venue at Washington State University. She also said the organization wanted to involve artists from around the community.
The event has “a sort of comradery” about it, Johnson said. She said at the end of the night, all the performers come together on stage to sing a Christmas carol. The production is unique – it is its own, she said.
“The feeling of the whole night is warm and inviting and so beneficial for the audience and for the students,” Johnson said.
Jordan Willson con be reached at [email protected]