St. Joseph Dance Company to perform ‘The Wonderful Wizard of Oz’ at Missouri Theater this Saturday

ST. JOSEPH, Mo. (News-Press NOW) -- The St. Joseph Dance Arts Company is gearing up for a live performance of a classic novel at the Missouri Theater this Saturday.

On Saturday, Jan. 31, the Dance Arts Performing Company will showcase two performances of the "The Wonderful Wizard of Oz" at 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. in the Historic Missouri Theater. The classic children's novel -- written in 1900 and adapted to the big screen in 1939 -- tells the story of Dorothy and her Dog Toto traveling from Kansas to the land of Oz.

The choreography for the performance, which includes ballet, jazz, tap and other contemporary art forms, was created by instructors at The Dance Arts Center, including Artistic Director Marla Heeler. The Dance Arts Performing Company is affiliated with The Dance Arts Center which offers comprehensive dance instruction for ages 3 through adult.

The latest performance continues the group's goal of incorporating new styles to provide a unique experience with each show. Some, including last year’s The Nutcracker, Alice in Wonderland, and previous shows like The Dark Fairy and American Quartet, have been completely original works with original music and choreography by dancers from St. Joseph and surrounding communities.

"If we always do the same thing as everyone else, there’s no good reason for people to continue to show interest in what we have to offer,” Heeler said. “We have over 30 of our dancers in this production and they have been learning the choreography and rehearsing to bring a fun and lively performance to our audience.”

Admission can be purchased at MoTickets.com or at the door the day of the performances, with Adults being $15, and Loge Seating $20.

Additional information or questions can be found at TheDanceArtsCenter.com or by calling 816-233-5442.