Former student Remi Wedin was recently accepted into the film school at Chapman University, and one of the pieces she created for her portfolio was inspired by a ballet dance she performed in at Stagelight Performing Arts! We caught up with Remi recently to learn more about animation and her future goals.

SPA: How much time did you spend on creating the ballet animation?

RW: The ballet animation took me a few weeks to complete. The initial poses were not difficult to do, but I spent a majority of the time refining the movement. The entire portfolio took me a year to complete and was composed of 2D drawings, paintings, and 3D animations.

SPA: How has your dance training affected you as an artist?

RW: I think dancers have a very unique understanding of motion and how the body moves, which is extremely important when it comes to animating. I was a bit hesitant to animate a dance sequence because it can go wrong very easily. I watched animations of dances on YouTube before I started the project and it was obvious that the animators were not dancers. They didn’t pay close attention to things like turnout and the feet, so as a dancer I knew it was not technically accurate. Having dance training helped me make the animation look graceful and light.

SPA: What are you looking for in a college as acceptance letters continue to come in?

RW: I’m looking for a college that can push my creativity. Anybody can learn how to use Photoshop, a 3D animating software, or even how to draw, but at the end of the day those things are just tools artists use to get their point across. The only thing that matters is how an artist uses those tools. I think the same thing applies to dance as well.  Anybody can choreograph a routine, but not everybody can choreograph a routine that captivates an audience (if that makes sense). My goal as an animator isn’t to move objects or characters – it’s to move audiences, and I’m looking for a school that can help get me there.

We are so proud of Remi, and we wish her the best success in all her future endeavors! #dostagelight

Daphne Stift has been attending Stagelight Performing Arts since the studio opened, and since then, Daphne has continued to grow into quite the performer! Currently, she is in two productions: The Giver and Center of the Universe, both with Phantom Productions. We caught up with her recently to ask about her role as Sparky in Center of the Universe, which tours junior highs and high schools in Southern California.

SPA: What is your favorite part about playing Sparky?

DS: My favorite part about playing Sparky is that she is not one of the biggest characters, but she plays a really important role. She is Maria’s best friend, and when something happens to Maria at the end of the story, Sparky’s role in the story shows how much Maria was loved.

SPA: What has been the most challenging part about this whole experience?

DS: The most challenging part about this experience is that we are the a cast, but we are also the crew. We set up, we take down, and when something goes wrong, it’s all on us. We’re not just performing; we’re doing tech.

SPA: You’ve done many musicals, what do you like about doing a play?

DS: In musicals I feel like you’re spending so much time learning the dances and the songs, but in plays, I can sit down and spend more time on a script analysis to really understand my character and the play.

Stagelight student Cole Thompson, 11 years old, was one of the performers in last Christmas’ The Hot Chocolate Nutcracker at The Music Center in Los Angeles. This was the 7th year the show ran, and it was produced and directed by Debbie Allen herself. Stagelight Performing Arts caught up with Cole last week to discuss his role in the show:

SPA: What is your favorite part about this role?

CT: It was something so different! I’ve never done anything like it before. It was so great to try something new.

SPA: What was the most difficult thing about this role?

CT: The hardest thing was probably trying to get used to something brand new and starting fresh while not knowing any of the people there. I had to make friends and work with choreographers I didn’t know. Getting used to the new vibe of everything was hard.

SPA: What roles did you play in the show?

CT: I was in the HipHop Candy Cane number, one of the people in the opening party scene, and a toy soldier in Toyland–which was a tap number. I was also in the Flamenco piece!

SPA: What is one special memory you’ll treasure from doing this show?

CT: Probably that I was dancing with Debbie Allen, which is not something many people can say they’ve done! That was an amazing experience to dance with someone who is so highly ranked in what they do.