
DATE: Friday, May 2, 1997                   TAG: 9704300141

SECTION: CHESAPEAKE CLIPPER      PAGE: 04   EDITION: FINAL 

SOURCE: BY ERIC FEBER, STAFF WRITER 

                                            LENGTH:  106 lines

5 CHESAPEAKE GIRLS FEATURED IN ODU SPRING BALLET TONIGHT

THE PAYOFF WILL come when all five hit the stage Friday night and again Sunday afternoon.

This weekend, the Old Dominion Ballet will present its Spring Gala featuring three different ballet productions to be held at the Virginia Beach Pavilion and again at the Harrison Opera House in Norfolk.

Five young dancers from Chesapeake - Lisa Huff, Ashley McCall, Lydia Overheim, Alexis Sams and Kelli Skluzak - will participate in the ODU Ballet Performing Company's production of Josef Bayer's ``The Fairy Doll,'' which will be choreographed by the ODU Ballet's directors, Istvan and Neli Ament.

The ballet is about a contemporary avaricious toy-shop owner who sells dolls merely for the profit and a little orphan girl who loves and cares for the dolls. Later in the story, a good fairy doll comes to life and brings all of the dolls to life. Grateful to the little oprhan for all her care and love, the live dolls hold a carnival of dance in her honor.

All five Chesapeake girls have been dancing for years and have committed their time to the ODU Ballet Performing Company. They have danced in its annual Christmas production of Tchaikovsky's ``The Nutcracker'' and several more have participated in productions of such classic ballets as ``Cinderella'' and ``Snow White.''

``It wouldn't feel like Christmas if we weren't in `The Nutcracker,' '' Huff said, while the other four quickly nodded in agreement.

``This is all I know,'' McCall said. ``Besides, it keeps us out of trouble.''

Like other serious students who attend the ODU Ballet School, the five Chesapeake dancers spend most of their free time either in dance class or in rehearsal for some upcoming production.

``We get aching feet,'' McCall said laughing. ``And we don't have a life.''

``Yes, we do,'' Sams shot back. ``We have each other. We all enjoy the unity and camaraderie.''

``The work and practice gets hard sometimes, but the friendships are great,'' Skluzak said.

``I don't mind doing this,'' Overheim said. ``There's nothing to do where I live. But we all practice at least five to six days a week.''

Sams, who started with the Thaddeus Hays School of Dance, has been dancing for 13 years. Skluzak, who started with Margaret Pleau, and McCall who began with the Bobby and Helen School of Dance, have both been dancing for eight years. Overheim and Huff, who began their dance study with the ODU ballet, have clocked in eight and four years, respectively.

All five said they would like to continue to dance even beyond the ODU Ballet.

Sams auditioned for the Indiana University School of Music/Dance and has hopes of attending that famous university after she graduates from high school this summer. She said she'd like to major in some kind of dance and minor in physical therapy.

Skluzak, Huff and Overheim said they'd like to pursue dance as a possible career. McCall said she wants to go into medicine to eventually become a geneticist but she will continue to hoof it.

``I'll do it to keep in shape,'' she said.

``All of these girls are high achievers and do well in school,'' said Debbi Skluzak, Kelli's mom and ODU Ballet School parent volunteer. ``This is what they do in their spare time. It also creates character and builds long lasting friendships among the girls .''

Skluzak has studied the viola, McCall plays piano and Sams, who also holds down an after-school job, was named Miss Great Bridge High this past January.

And the best part of dance? When the curtain rises and it's showtime.

``I love working hard and finally going on stage,'' Huff said.

``You feel like you're on top of the world when you're on stage,'' Overheim added.

``It makes you feel good when people come up to you afterwards and tell you that you did well,'' Skluzak added.

But all of the fun isn't just relegated to the stage.

``It's fun being in the shows,'' McCall said. ``But being backstage is even more fun. We like to goof off a lot.'' ILLUSTRATION: Ashley McCall, left, Lydia Overheim, Lisa Huff, Alexis

Sams and Kelli Skluzak will appear this weekend at the Virginia

Beach Pavilion and at Norfolk's Harrison Opera House in the ODU

Ballet's production of the children's ballet, ``The Fairy Doll.''

Photo by ERIC FEBER

Graphic

WANT TO GO?

What: The ODU Ballet presents its spring gala featuring ``The

Fairy Doll,'' ``Four Days from My Life'' and ``Visions.''

When: 8 p.m. Friday and 3 p.m. Sunday.

Where: Friday's production will be at the Virginia Beach

Pavilion; Sunday's performance will be at Harrison Opera House in

Norfolk.