Ballet paves way for future cultural events

    HOULTON — The house lights went down, the stage lights came up and the curtain parted. The stage was set for this first performance of a delightful rendition of the Maine State Ballet’s “Peter & the Wolf”.  A Prokofiev masterpiece it tells the story of a brave young boy who takes it upon himself to go out hunting for a dangerous wolf, while accompanied by a bird, a duck and a cat.  Rather than featuring dialogue, each character is voiced by a different musical instrument.
    The audience was smiling and laughing at all the subtle actions that went on to portray this wonderful story, and cheers when the wolf is finally caught and taken to the zoo.
    After a brief intermission, a rousing performance of “Western Roundup” began.  This was a high-spirited show featuring cowboys and saloon girls, with each dance being set to a western music number that was fast paced and colorful.  This certainly had people getting into the swing of the energy that was being put forth by this extremely talented dance troupe. 
Everyone attending enjoyed their evening and let that enjoyment be known with their rousing rounds of applause, both during and after the performance ended.
    “We were very fortunate to be able to co-ordinate with the ballet company to bring this event to the Arts Center and totally impressed by the level of talent they provided,” said Sue Waite York, Arts Center Trustee. “Not only were they great performers but setting up the show and taking care of a lot of the things that needed was done in such a professional manner. They were young hardworking individuals who danced beautifully and loved what they do.”
    “The Houlton Community Arts Center Council and the Health Services Foundation were very delighted to partner on this event, which, not only provided a night out from the ordinary, but also showcased the fundraising cause each organization was pursuing,” added Elizabeth Dulin, Foundation executive director.
“It is our hope that this will be just the beginning of bringing in, on an annual basis, a cultural event that will get people out and expand a greater understanding about the arts and that partnering for good causes is a good thing.  This event helped get the word out about how important supporting the arts and healthcare is.”
    The Arts Center is currently in Phase Two of it’s campaign to build an additional wing which will play a dual role in accommodating the growing educational needs of students, and provide future events, performed at the Center’s auditorium, a proper, separate environment to practice and present the performing arts.  The Foundation’s current campaign is to bring Digital Mammography to Houlton Regional Hospital, in support of earlier detection of breast cancer. 
    This was a fun, cultural event and a mutual effort to assist each organization toward their ultimate fundraising goals, and bring cultural enrichment to our communities with the Performing Arts.
    Anyone wishing further information regarding the Houlton Community Arts Center may visit www.houltonarts.org, and for the Foundation, www.healthservicesfoundation.org.