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Towngate Theatre Stages “Snow White”

Hi Ho, Hi Ho, it’s off to Towngate we go! Towngate Theatre presents Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs.

Enjoy spectacular sets, costumes and special effects. There is plenty of song, dance and comedy, too. This production has the authenticity of the original Brothers Grimm story while incorporating the whimsy of modern-day versions.

Each child gets a keepsake photograph. After the show, kids can go onstage, meet the actors and get autographs from their favorite characters.

Children’s theater brings families together through the arts. Classic and modern-day stories stimulate the imagination, intellect and spirit!

Snow White and the 7 Dwarfs will be staged:

7p.m. Friday, February 3
3p.m Saturday, February 4 (“Snow White Tea” follows the show)
3p.m. Sunday, February 5
7p.m. Friday, February 10
3p.m. Saturday, February 11.

Adults: $12.50/$11 OI members. Children 10 & under: $10/$8.50 OI members.

Children attending the Saturday, February 4 matinee performance have the option of staying afterward for a special “Snow White Tea” where they can join the characters for a variety of themed activities.  (Separate admission is charged for the “Snow White Tea,” and advance reservations are required.)

Purchase tickets online or call 304-242-7700.

Sponsored by Cassidy, Cogan, Shapell & Voegelin, LC

Towngate Theatre Presents Snow White

Experience the Magic of Children’s Theater…

Want to boost literacy? Teach your child to imagine the unimaginable? Cultivate curiosity? Go to the theater and bring your kids.

Plays ignite the imagination and bring stories to life. Words and characters jump from the page to the stage, thus connecting children to the importance of reading.   They learn valuable lessons, too.  Theater teaches skills such as empathy, critical thinking and teamwork.  Kids watch the actors working together onstage. They see that REAL people are behind entertainment and realize performers are not just images on TV or computer screens.  Live action happens right before their eyes. There’s no app for that!  All their senses are engaged “in the moment.”  Nothing can be paused or muted.  Some may even discover the actor, director or writer within themselves.  Most of all, you get to spend quality time as a family.  Theater is a social experience meant to be shared with one another. So, gather the kids, go to Towngate and experience the magic of theater together.

Keeping the Community in Community Theater in Wheeling. . .

Located in Wheeling’s historic Centre Market District, Towngate Theatre is a cornerstone of creative life in Wheeling and serves as an entertainment destination for residents of the Ohio Valley and beyond. People of all ages and backgrounds gather here to create and experience art onstage. Most of all, Towngate celebrates the essential power of theater to illuminate our common humanity. The community enjoys and participates in hundreds of live performances, classes and workshops year-round.

OI School of Dance Celebrates Black History Month

OI SCHOOL OF DANCE CELEBRATES BLACK HISTORY MONTH

Special guests from Dance Theatre Harlem and The Joffrey Ballet School teach workshops and discuss the challenges, changes and influence of African American dancers since the 1950s.  

In 2015, Misty Copeland made history when she became the first African American female principle dancer with the prestigious, and historically white, American Ballet Theatre. Like with all barrier-breaking “firsts,” there is a long and illustrious line of people who paved the way for this historic moment.

“Misty Copeland is amazing and has become a household name. But she is not the first black professional ballerina.  Many African American women had trailblazing careers despite the racism they faced. Their accomplishments helped open the door for future dancers like Misty,” said Oglebay Institute director of dance Cheryl Pompeo.

One of those women is Lorraine Graves. Graves is a former principle ballerina and current master teacher with the legendary Dance Theatre of Harlem. She has performed around the world and for American presidents Ronald Reagan, George H. W. Bush and Bill Clinton as well as Nelson Mandela and Mikhail Gorbachev.

OI Welcomes Special Guest Artists

Graves is a special guest at Oglebay Institute’s School of Dance in Wheeling on Sunday, February 5. She will teach a ballet workshop and discuss the challenges, changes and influence of African American dancers since the 1950s.

Internationally traveled master instructor Nijawwon Matthews will join Graves in the discussion and will also teach a hip-hop workshop. Matthews is a resident teacher and choreographer for The Joffrey Ballet School in New York City. He also serves as a teacher and dancer for TOKYOtheCOMPANY.

The program takes place from 5 -8 p.m. Sunday, February 5. It is open to dance students ages 6 and up and includes both workshops and the lecture/discussion.

Community Outreach

As part of OI’s community outreach program and through funding from the Hearst Foundation, groups from Laughlin Chapel, Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, Florence Crittenton and Generations of Steppaz will participate in the programs.

Front Row, left to right,: Gia Starkey, Noriashia Green, Kylah Florio, Britney Williams. Back row, left to right, Abryanna Bumbico, Martha Wright, director of development, Crittenton Services, Cheryl Pompeo, Oglebay Institute School of Dance, Latisha Turner, church administrator Bethlehem Apostolic Temple, Deiona Gilliam, director, Generations of Steppaz, and Alexis Hoffman.

Pompeo organized the events to honor and reflect on African Americans dancers who have significantly impacted the American dance scene.

“Many groundbreaking artists and companies pioneered a new era of dance where black dancers could be seen as equal artists,” she said.

For example, Dance Theatre of Harlem, where Graves began her career, is the oldest black classical company in continuous existence. DTH was instrumental in lowering the color bar in ballet and continues to carry the torch for racial inclusion.

“It is vital that we continue to cultivate diversity in dance, both on the stage and in the audience,” Pompeo said.

Register

For more information or to register for OI’s Black History Month program, visit www.oionline.com or call 304-242-7700.