USC Dance Conservatory to stage ‘Young Girls in Europe’

Approximately 100 young dancers from the community will perform at the University of South Carolina Dance Conservatory’s annual program April 25 and 26.

The show, “Young Girls in Europe,” will take place at the Koger Center for the Arts at 6 p.m. Friday, April 25, and 3 p.m. Saturday, April 26.

Tickets are $10 for students, $14 for faculty and staff and $16 for the general public and are available at the Carolina Coliseum box office. To charge, call 803-251-2222.

“Young Girls in Europe” is an original ballet that tells the story of a teen-age American girl who travels through Europe with a group of Parisian school girls. The girls travel across France to well-known destinations such as the Louvre and the Moulin Rouge and also visit Italy, Spain, Switzerland, Germany and Russia.

Anna Grace Fisher, a senior at Irmo High School, will dance the lead role of the American girl. Fisher has been with the conservatory for five years and will enter the university next fall as a freshman dance major.

“Young Girls in Europe” is choreographed by Susan Anderson, director of the dance program; adjunct dance instructors Marissa Freeman and Anna Logan; Columbia Classical Ballet dancer Talin Kenar; and university dance majors Lindsey Shatzer, Kerrie Anne Dunn and English Nye.

The conservatory is run by the university’s department of theatre and dance and offers instruction to dancers ages 3-18 years.

“The USC Dance Conservatory is a great opportunity for young dancers,” said instructor Marissa Freeman. “Not only do the students get the opportunity to take classes, but they also get to interact with dance majors from the university. They also have the invaluable experience of participating in a full-length ballet at the end of the year, not just a recital.”

For more information, call Marissa Freeman, 803-777-7264.