East Bay Local Rediscovers Love For Dance On Newark Stage

For 21-year-old nursing student Erika Woods, dancing is like riding a bike.

The grad is breaking a two-year dance hiatus by revving up for her role in Newark's Stage 1 Community Theatre performance of "Hairspray: The Broadway Musical."

Woods received the role through a lifelong dedication to dance, and an unexpected Facebook message from an acquaintance. 

“The director sent me a Facebook message asking me if I wanted to audition for Hairspray. I had worked with her before, and I said ‘yes,’” Woods said. 

She is playing one of the council members on The Corny Collins television show, a pseudo American Bandstand dance show that is the centerpiece of the musical.

This role will mark her first performance since leaving San Diego State University her freshmen year, when she decided to pursue a nursing degree back in the East Bay.

She currently attends Chabot and Los Positas College and plans to eventually tansfer back to a university.

While getting a nursing degree is her main focus right now, Woods said that her passion for dance is something she does not plan on relinquishing. 

“I would love to dance professionally. It’s a way for me to express myself without using words. I want to at least continue to perform as long as I can,” she said.

"Hairspray: The Broadway Musical" is an adaptation of the 1988 John Waters film of the same name. The story revolves around a high school girl who is a bit of a wallflower, but finds her way onto The Corny Collins television dance show. The teenage girl struggles with the feminine stereotypes and racial prejudices of the early 1960’s and manages to transcend them by thinking for herself rather than following the opinions of other characters. 

The performances will be held at Newark Memorial High School between Jan. 20 and Feb 4. Though tickets are not yet for sale, those interested in buying them in advance should visit the Stage 1 website.