Galletta Dance Co. brings Broadway to North Kitsap

Poulsbo troupe takes the stage this weekend in “Broadway Bound,” an original production combining main stage favorites.

The Galletta Dance Company has always had an affinity for doing its own thing.

Established two short years ago in Poulsbo by longtime area teacher and former professional performer Lynn Galletta, it’s one of the few companies in Kitsap that carries a strong focus in modern dance in addition to the more traditional forms. Galletta even goes beyond the baseline of the dance medium, incorporating the greater aspects of performance that go along with it.

Students are trained in singing and acting as well as dancing and performing.

“There’s a lot of different studios in the area and we’re just trying to do something different, while doing something that’s educational to our audiences and something that’s educational for our children,” Galletta said.

Each year in culmination, the company puts together an annual recital combining the elements of all three with its own unique stamp.

Last year, they put the Galletta spin on the traditional number “The Princess and the Pea.” This year, they’ve created an original piece, from story to choreography, titled “Broadway Bound.”

Incorporating songs from Broadway favorites, it tells the story of two girls from an obscure little town, portrayed by Galletta seniors Maggie Hotchkiss and Kylie Booher, who are destined for Broadway.

“I think a lot of people in a small town like Poulsbo, they want to go bigger, but no one ever says you can because it seems so far away,” Galletta said. “We like to say ‘you can.’ ”

In fact, a few of the Galletta Company instructors are testaments to the sentiment. Galletta herself danced in “Pippin” on Broadway back in the 1970s.

The company’s vocal coach Candice Donehoo-Pullom performed both on Broadway and on national tours for productions of “The King and I” and “Jekyll and Hyde” during the 1990s, and she’s also performed in such productions as “Sweeney Todd” and “The Sound of Music” at Seattle’s Fifth Avenue Theatre. On the Fifth Avenue note, Galletta jazz instructor Jennifer Kane is currently moving through the auditioning process to be a part of the prestigious Seattle theater’s 2009-10 season, Galletta said.

With teachers like that and through productions like “Broadway Bound,” Galletta noted that students have gotten an intimate look at exactly how a show is built from the ground up. Now it is their time to take the stage.

“Broadway Bound” premieres at 7 p.m. June 20 at the North Kitsap High School Auditorium off of Hostmark Street in Poulsbo, with two more performances slated for this weekend — 7 p.m. June 21 and 1 p.m. June 22. Tickets are $12 for adults, $10 for seniors, $8 for kids under 12.

Info: www.gallettadance.com or call (360) 779-1122.

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