Dancers to present original production of ‘Cinderella’

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“Cinderella,” a new, original dance production, will be presented by Zoika’s Dance on June 8 at Lewis Auditorium in downtown St. Augustine. 

This fresh retelling of the classic fairy tale combines classical ballet with contemporary dance genres including tap, hip hop, contemporary, jazz and ballroom dance. Performances will be at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. Lewis Auditorium is located at 14 Granada St. Tickets are $20 and $30 and may be purchased online at zoikasdance.com.

Director and choreographer Zoika Garcia has called upon the talents of professional dancers to join the young cast. Among the professionals joining the cast are Amaani Grant (hip hop, contemporary, tap), Katherine DeAcutis (hip hop) and Jenne Vermes (tap and contemporary), as well as Alex Rubio and Christie Woodson, members of professional tap ensemble Noise Complaint.

The role of Cinderella’s stepmother will be portrayed by professional ballroom and musical theater dancer and actor Christina Cruz. She will be joined onstage by professional ballroom dancer Clay Mitchell. The King and Queen will be portrayed by St. Augustine performers Tommy Bledsoe and Joy D’Elia. Cinderella and the Prince will be portrayed by local dancers Annabelle Hucke and Jake Karger.

“We are thrilled to tell this beautiful fairy tale through the language of dance,” Garcia said. “And we are very excited to include so many vibrant, contemporary dance styles along with classical ballet. It is exciting for both the audience and the dancers.”

Garcia, a former professional ballet dancer from Cuba, also plans to share “Cinderella” with members of the community who might not otherwise have the chance to attend. She has partnered with local nonprofit, Fostering Connections, to provide a block of tickets for local foster children and their foster parents to attend the shows. Local financial sponsors of the production are making this possible.

For information on sponsoring, go to zoikasdance.com/sponsors.