Traverse City Dance Project features Glen Arbor talent

From staff reports

You may have seen Severin Brotschul or his girlfriend Jessica He working summer days at the River Club Glen Arbor. Now you can watch them ply their trade on stage during an upcoming Traverse City Dance Project performance.

The project is a realization of professional dancer and choreographer Brent Whitney’s dream to bring top-tier dance back to his hometown of Traverse City and to “ensure that the vibrant community of northern Michigan can readily access and afford opportunities to experience the art of dance at its finest.”

Traverse City Dance Project launched in 2012. This is Severin and Jessica’s first year with Whitney’s company.

The Traverse City Dance Project will hold five upcoming performances at venues close to Leelanau County: Tuesday, July 29, at The Garden Theater in Frankfort; Thursday, July 31, at the Odmark Performance Pavilion in Charlevoix; Saturday, Aug. 2, at the Railroad Square Pavilion in Kalkaska; Sunday, Aug. 3, at the Open Space in Traverse City, and Tuesday, Aug. 5, at Gala in the Gardens at the Historic Barns Park in Traverse City. All performances except Aug. 5 are free to attend. Visit TCDanceProject.org for more information.

Whitney’s vision to bring dance to the masses in northern Michigan speaks to Severin and Jessica, both of whom dance professionally with the Atlanta Ballet when they aren’t summering in Glen Arbor.

“The performances are outside and they’re free,” said Severin. “That’s a big part of the Traverse City Dance Project’s mission to make dance and live theater accessible.”

Polling of audience members showed that many who attended Traverse City Dance shows had never been to a live dance performance before.

“It’s not a daily part of life for some people,” said He.

Severin, age 24, has spent summers at his family’s home on the Crystal River for most of his life. His dad Stephen is general manager of the River Club Glen Arbor and occasional bartender at Broomstack Kitchen and Taphouse in Maple City. Stephen and his mom Amy met while teaching at The Leelanau School in the 1990s.

The son of Glen Arbor discovered dance when he performed as Prince Eric in “The Little Mermaid” while attending Harford Day School in Maryland. The owner of a local ballet school saw him dance and invited him to join a production of “The Nutcracker.” The opportunity led to ballet classes and training at the Houston Ballet Academy. He also credits his exposure to dance while living in France at age 10.

“How the arts were celebrated there predisposed me to be interested in everything.

“I love sharing the enjoyment of dancing with my friends and colleagues,” said Severin, who recalls performing the role of Don Q in Don Quixote. “My friend and I practiced all the bits as Don and Sancho and we earned all the audiences’ laughs.”

Jessica, who just turned 27, grew up in Rancho Cucamonga, California, began dancing at age 5 “to burn off energy.” At 15 she moved to Philadelphia to train at the Rock School for Dance Education. She later spent two years at the Houston Ballet before joining Atlanta Ballet in 2017, where she met Severin.

“I love telling a story and the feeling of sharing and connecting deeply with an audience,” said Jessica about her love for dance. She’s also an avid self-taught knitter and crocheter.

She joined Severin and his family last summer in Glen Arbor and has enjoyed “the easily accessible nature in northern Michigan. Lake Michigan takes my breath away every time.”

Jessica gathered the courage to swim in the lake for the first time ever this year on the Fourth of July.

Severin and Jessica, who recently spent a week at the Croft Residency overlooking Lake Charlevoix, cherish the intimacy of performing with the Traverse City Dance Project in the summer beauty of northern Michigan. The outfit this year has eight professional dancers and two apprentices, Adella Bialik and Eirwen Moshier, both of whom graduated from the Dance Arts Academy in Traverse City, where the company holds rehearsals. That size is tiny compared with the urban ballet companies.

“You’ll see a lot of different personalities, like everyone has something very unique to share,” said Severin. “I think the program will offer a nice palette for people who haven’t seen ballet before. This dance offers a little bit of everything, a little tasting.”