Visualize the Future
As you may have noticed, the theme of this quarter’s issue is firmly future-focused. And our community has no shortage of vibrant young talent with their sights set on impacting the future of the arts in Sioux Falls and beyond. We sat down with four such young performers in the worlds of dance, music and theatre and asked them to envision their own hopes for the years to come.
Pictured: Sophia Santos, performer with the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts (Credit: Peter Chapman)
What do you love most about performing?
Kate Stahl: The one thing I love about performing is the type of confidence that it instills in me. You get nothing like it from any other experience, and you get a rush from being able to be on the stage with all the lights on you and everyone sitting out in the audience. You just kind of do your thing, and it’s a very cool experience.
Jacob Pagone: For me, performing is not necessarily just the culmination of everything you’ve done over a period of time. I think it can also mean just by yourself or even when in rehearsal and you’re performing it for the wellbeing of the people playing in the ensemble. What I really like about that is the sense of community and this kind of electrifying connection that you have to everybody that keeps you wanting more. That feeling of weightlessness that music can bring to many people.
Sophia Santos: I love that the second you can step on the stage you can become a brand-new person. One show you can be a pretty princess living in a tower and the next one you can be an evil villain trying to capture the world. Another great thing about performing is that you get to meet so many new and different people who can help you on your journey—it’s amazing!
Garvey Mueller: It’s definitely the community aspect for me. Every musical has its own family. There are so many new people you meet, and it’s great to see how many connections you have. It’s just such a small world.
What types of performing arts do you love to experience?
KS: My favorite thing is probably to go see musicals. It entails acting, singing and dancing, all things that I love—seeing that all on stage put together into a production. I love Waitress—that’s probably hands-down my favorite one. And American in Paris—I love that one, because it has so much dance in it.
Pictured: Jacob Pagone, musician with the South Dakota Symphony Youth Orchestra (Credit: Peter Chapman)
JP: In the Sioux Falls community, I really just strive to find connections in music with as many people as I can meet and to expose myself to many different forms of music, whether that be dance, ensembles, new music or orchestral music. That whole sense of becoming part of something bigger that you can experience, especially in your own community.
SS: I like watching the fun shows with pop and rock music—Mean Girls, School of Rock, Beetlejuice. There’s just so much going on—so much energy and emotion and enjoyment in those types of shows. So much everything.
GM: I love watching Broadway musicals. But I also like watching everything in the community, too. Seeing my friends, watching them, supporting them. Cheering them on.
Who do you look up to as a performing artist?
KS: I would have to say Misty Copeland, because she has just broken down so many barriers in the dance community. She’s just paved the way for other dancers, whether it be dancers of color or anyone. She’s just a great role model, lead figure that the dance community has.
JP: I look up to almost anybody and everybody in my life—no matter who they are, I can always take something from them that I think is a really positive attribute and connect it to my life. Some great role models in the music world include my private teacher (South Dakota Symphony Orchestra bassist) Marian Casey—she really understands me and treats me a little like a son. She just absolutely loves music and has a sense of community in orchestral ensembles.
SS: I’ve looked up to (past DAPA program coordinator) Bob Wendland and (current DAPA program coordinator) Debbi Jones. And Lea Salonga—she was able to show that any young Asian girl can make it big in life.
GM: There are so many people, but not just from well-known parts of the industry, but so many people in the community here as well. They just push me to be the best person I can be—in addition to the best performer, actor, dancer.
Pictured: Garvey Mueller, performer with the Dakota Academy of Performing Arts (Credit: Peter Chapman)
What are your future goals for after high school?
KS: I’ve always wanted to continue with dance in college, because I’d hate to have put this many years into it and to give it up. Personally, I’ve thought about continuing to perform and being involved in community productions, whether I come back to teach at my dance studio or find a studio to help out around where I go to college.
JP: I absolutely love it so much, and I really hope that when I am out of high school that I continue music in any way I want to, whether that be a professional basis playing as my job or simply having fun making music or finding ensembles that bring me joy while still having other facets and interests in my life. Music is going to be a part of my life, professional or not.
SS: I mainly want to go to med school to become a doctor, but I love, love theatre. So even if I go to med school, I’ll still do regional theatre. I’ll still do it no matter what happens. But if Broadway calls or Hollywood, well then… why not!
[Laughter]
GM: I also love performing arts. One of my wildest dreams is to become a Disney character. Not necessarily in a movie or anything, but at the parks. I love interacting with kids! I am also really big into ukulele right now, and I’ve been playing around with this lately, but songwriting—I’ve tinkered with that and I find it interesting. It’s a good way to express my feelings. I see some of that in my future, too.What keeps you invested in the local arts?
Pictured: Kate Stahl, dancer with BritZa Studios (Credit: Peter Chapman)
If money were no object, what would you want to help impact in the local performing arts community?
KS: I would love to see more dance classes be offered without charge, because I think a financial burden is a problem for many people who might be interested in dance. I feel like that should not be something that holds people back from doing something they really want to do.
JP: I would really love to see a greater stability of funding in the arts. I truly believe that if there was a greater care for that, we’d be able to diversify our arts programs. It is really sad that many symphonies, especially local communities, can’t support a diverse system that would open the eyes of many.
SS: I would like theatre to have even more mentoring of young kids. I started when I was eight, and I want to encourage kids to do the same—try out theatre. There are many talented kids in Sioux Falls—equally as talented as New York City. I’d love to see kids be mentored more in the arts.
GM: I guess it’s fair to say that we spend a lot of time in school, so it’d be great to have more opportunities for kids to dip their toes in the arts—whether it’s drama clubs, dance classes, more music classes, anything like that. It just gives them the taste of what it’s like versus feeling like, “I’m too much of a sports kid,” but more of an opportunity to look into more than just one thing and find ways to express themselves.