Crankin’ it up a notch: City Lights North Summer Camp

FARMINGTON – In this big, second floor performing arts studio, 20 dancers move in jerky time to a pounding funk-jazz-hip-hop beat cranked to the max.

Then, without skipping a single beat, the music and the dancers’ style suddenly switches to a smooth, pure classical Tchaikovsky ballet. The music continues its changing ways until the dance students gasp for air and probably wish the stereo system would break down.

The dancers, ranging in age from pre-teen to late-teen, are attending Duggan Hill’s City Lights North annual summer dance class in the former State Theater building at 231 Broadway. City Lights was founded 30 years ago in Boston by Hill as a way of involving inner-city youths in the performing arts. He moved his summer studio to Farmington nearly a decade ago, bringing with him a few of his advanced students and other professionals up from Boston to teach two, two-week sessions of classes.

This year, a Boston City Lights student of 15 years, Russell Ferguson, won the Fox TV competition, So You Think You Can Dance. Hill, a veteran performing arts man himself, offers classes for all ages, including a dance, theater and voice for 4 year olds and their parents.

Besides providing a variety of dance, theatre, voice, mural painting and fencing classes, the program is also remarkable in that all of his classes are offered for free. All Hill asks in return is that the students dedicate themselves to working hard.

On this particularly hot morning, the students are fulfilling that requirement. As two student teachers,
Tisleem Anderson-Callender and Tiara Anderson-Callender repeatedly work through the dance moves, Hill is at another section of what was once the spacious former Odd Fellows ballroom, teaching several boys their dance moves.

“Get ready, let’s go,” Hill said suddenly and with a lot of enthusiasm as he turned on the music and the dancing began again.

Anyone interested in joining any of the classes, can drop in or call 778-9115. Classes run everyday to a final performance on July 5. A second session will be held the last two weeks of August.