MEET THE COMPANY
The North Star Dance Company laid down its roots 7 years ago in November 2016 with their premier performance of original works on the North Star Theater Stage in Cordova, Alaska. The company’s founding members have all since graduated leaving behind their legacy and inspiration for our current company dancers.
The company has had the pleasure of working with acclaimed artist, Katherine Kramer, who created a piece specifically for the company in March 2017. In March 2019, these dancers had the unique opportunity to set pieces to music by the Alaskan band, The Super Saturated Sugar Strings, to collaborate with them as well as perform their work LIVE with the band. Also last spring, the company exchanged choreography with Dance Momentum, an Anchorage based dance company. Plus, the company dancers got to learn from Okaidja Afroso, visiting guest artist from Portland, who shared his African dance and music heritage and collaborated with both Dance Momentum and the Super Saturated Sugar Strings along with our dancers!
The company staged its own production in February 2020, Incrementum, highlighting four graduating dancers.
Despite COVID, the company has managed to create and share space to work on pieces to share with the community. Performances in the winter and spring of 2021 were limited, but gladly the dancers were able to perform to the greater general public in December 2021 and March 2022.
Ari Dawn Jeppson-Bolin, 15
Ari was born in Anchorage. She began dancing when she was 3 years old. Here’s what she says about dance: “I dance because I feel free and alive. When I dance, I am able to express myself and feel free in movements.”
She’d like to tell younger dancers that no matter how hard it can get, you just need to persevere. “Dance is something you will never want to give up on.”
Her future plans include going to veterinary school so she can open a clinic in Cordova for pets to come in any day.
Morgan Saiget, 15
Morgan was born in Hood River, Oregon and started dancing when she was 6 years old.
She says, “I dance because it’s very freeing. I don’t like to be on stage or the center of attention unless I’m dancing.”
She’d like to tell younger dancers to “let loose and be yourself because no one can judge you when you dance.”
In the future, she sees herself starting a non-profit, playing piano, or dancing in a big ballet or dance company.
