Dancenter North celebrates its forty year anniversary this weekend with a special concert at the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan.
The "Grand American Gala" concert is at 3:00 p.m. on Sunday, May 4th and will feature performances by students and student companies with some special memories from the school's former students.
Dancenter North first opened its doors at the David Adler Cultural Center in 1974. According to Cheri Lindell, the studio's founder and director, there were some 40 students who danced around the pillars in the "ballroom" at Adler. As the school's clientele grew, it moved to Church Street in downtown Libertyville overlooking Cook Park. In 1980, Dancenter North made it's final move to the former vaudeville theatre at 540 North Milwaukee Avenue where five studios, a dancewear shop and their offices have kept the east side of Milwaukee Avenue in Libertyville full of young dancers.
Find out what's happening in Libertyvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Lindell estimates that over 20,000 have trained at Dancenter North during its' 40 year history. Barb and Larry Laske of Libertyville hold the distinction of having either a child or a grandchild enrolled in each and every year of the studio's existence!
Mary Mayworm Mateer was one of the very first students at the Adler Center. She continued her dance training through the move to Church Street where she remembers dancing on risers in the library parking lot for Libertyville Days. She recalls that the opportunity to work under the influence of the professionals who taught at "DCN" and the performing experiences she gained as a member of "Heritage Dance Theatre" based at the school, gave her great confidence. She even credits her dance training with gaining her very first position on her climb to being a store manager at Macy's. "At my interview, I was told that the discipline taught in dance and the years of dance that I had, showed a dedication and discipline that put me above other candidates." Mateer continues the dance tradition in her family with her daughter, Sarah, who studies at DCN and played the leading role of "Clara" in the studio's 25th anniversary production of "The Magic of the Nutcracker" this past December.
Find out what's happening in Libertyvillefor free with the latest updates from Patch.
Nikki White Lazzaretto also has a long history with Dancenter North. She started her studies at the age of 5 when her mother, a dancer, searched for a school in Lake County that would give her a good education. Nikki studied ballet and jazz and remembers idolizing the older dancers whom she watched intently. She has memories of performing at the Daley Plaza Civic Center downtown with her fondest memory of playing "Clara" in the very first "Magic of the Nutcracker". Lazzaretto, a Libertyville resident, is now a dance teacher and the Curriculum Director of Dancenter North.
Students who have trained at Dancenter North have made their way to Broadway, major dance companies, television and films both in front and behind the scenes from Milwaukee Ballet to Alvin Ailey Dance Theatre to Riverdance to Cirque du Soleil. For further information of for tickets for "The Grand American Gala", call Dancenter North at 847-367-7970.
