Save the last dance

In a dark, tightly packed theater, family and friends sit shoulder against shoulder, their collective gaze trained on the stage. They wait in anticipation for the big payoff for months of lessons, driving to practices, sore muscles, hard work and the cost of shoes, tights and leotards.

Raising a dancer takes a village.

The emcee enters stage left, greets the audience and introduces the night’s performance: Cirque de Danse, Danse Noir Studio’s 2013 Spring Recital. Many of the audience members have been coming to the spring recitals since Danse Noir’s inception in 2009. They have seen their daughters, granddaughters, nieces and cousins grow up on this stage. 

The emcee exits stage left. The music swells and the curtain rises to reveal dancers made up to look like circus performers. The entire dance studio participates in the opening act, from the toddlers to the instructors. The audience applauds wildly.

Between performances, the emcee entertains the crowd with his antics. During the show, the families of the girls on stage shout out their names and words of encouragement. They are participating, too. The littlest ones stagger on stage, slightly swaying with worried looks on their faces. The older girls are coordinated, timely and energetic. The excitement is as tangible as the lights and the curtains.

For Jewel Smith, this night is special. She is performing for the first time since she broke the growth plate of her right ankle in November 2012. She had been practicing a dance routine in her bedroom when she tripped and injured herself. Ankles are nearly irreplaceable for dancers. Smith’s been off her feet for a while.

She had been hoping to audition for a Debbie Allen show last January but her injury prevented her from trying out. She could damage it permanently if she pushed things too quickly.

Now, on this night, after months of therapy, Smith is fully recovered, and she gives a spectacular routine.

The Baton Rouge Magnet High School freshman speaks eloquently about her experience. She is poised and calm. Six years ago she discovered her love of dance, and for the last five of those years she’s been at Danse Noir.

“I love that you can be yourself in dance,” she says. “I feel like I’m in a different world when I’m dancing.”

Now that her ankle is healed, she looks forward to auditioning for Allen’s next Baton Rouge show this month. It’s been a dream of hers to perform in the star choreographer’s stage production, and with a little luck and the continued support of Danse Noir and her family, she might do just that. dansenoirstudio.com

Auditions for Debbie Allen’s next show take place Jan. 10-12. For more information, visit artsbr.org..