Growing up in Glendale, Lauren Froderman dreamed of becoming a ballerina. Instead, she went the way of contemporary dance — winning season 7 of the Fox television “So You Think You Can Dance” competition.
Froderman returns to Arizona this weekend to perform a self-choreographed work as part of a dance showcase featuring works by more than a dozen Arizona choreographers.
Despite its somewhat racy name, Lisa Starry notes that the “Kick-A Dance Showcase” is perfectly appropriate for children ages 7 and up.
The showcase features two acts that run about an hour each, according to Starry, and younger ones might have a hard time sitting still that long.
The showcase premieres tonight at 7pm, and there are two shows both Friday and Saturday night.
Froderman is dancing in the Saturday shows. The showcase is presented by Scorpius Dance Theatre, a contemporary dance company founded by Starry in 1999.
Starry began her formal dance training in modern, ballet and choreography at the Phoenix School of Ballet in 1985, earning a BFA in dance/choreography a decade ago in California.
Froderman, 21, lives in California now, where she’s studying education at Loyola Marymount University in L.A. Growing up, she was homeschooled and attended Scottsdale Christian Academy.
She graduated from Greenway High School in Phoenix, and speaks highly of dance teachers who gave students the freedom to choreograph as well as dance.
Froderman auditioned for “So You Think You Can Dance” on a whim, after being urged by a friend to try out for the popular television series. She’d already taken part in plenty of dance competitions, mostly through a Scottsdale studio called Dance Connections.
Nowadays, she’s focused on college and keeping “performance ready” by participating in various benefits.
“Remember that dance is about having fun,” she tells younger dancers. “Be the best that you can be,” says Froderman, “and don’t compare yourself to other dancers.”
Her “biggest role model” is Mandy Moore, who teaches jazz and contemporary jazz dance at EDGE Performing Arts Center. Moore is a guest choreographer for “So You Think You Can Dance” and did choreography for the recent film “Silver Linings Playbook.”
Though Froderman plans to teach general curriculum, probably with very young students, she’s eager to incorporate dance and other art forms into her teaching. “Art influences children’s lives in positive ways,” says Froderman. “It’s such a powerful thing.”
She’s hoping Valley audiences turn out in large numbers for every “Kick-A Dance Showcase” performance. “I worked hard on my dance, and I know others did too.”
It’s important, Froderman says, to support local choreographers. Without new works, we’d all be watching the exact same dances year after year.
This year’s “Kick-A Dance Showcase” features contemporary, modern, hip hop, jazz and aerial arts performed to diverse musical selections from Chopin to Beyoncé. Starry’s “Rotation” is set to music by Phillip Glass and Kronos Quartet. Nicole Olson’s “Reverance” is set to music by Andrew Lloyd Webber.
Tonight’s performance includes a “young choreographer selection” called “Turned to Stone,” which is choreographed and danced by Julia Goraj to music by Moloko. Starry invited Goraj, a recent high school graduate, to perform after seeing the quality of her senior dance performance at Metropolitan Arts Institute in Phoenix.
The “Kick-A Dance Showcase” is being performed at the Phoenix Theatre Little Theatre, where Scorpius Dance Theatre has performed “A Vampire Tale” during several Halloween seasons. It’s located next to the Phoenix Art Museum at Central Ave. and McDowell Rd. in Phoenix. Click here for dates/times and ticket information.
