Move over Kevin Bacon, students from around the region are about to kick off their Sunday shoes and dance their way onto the stage.
Drayton Entertainment has taken another classic film and Broadway play and given local students the opportunity to perform it on one of their local stages in front of a large audience.
High school students from across the region are getting ready to premiere of Footloose the musical.
The 1980s movie was adapted into a successful Broadway play in the 1990s and will make its return to the stage at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse as this year's Drayton Entertainment Youth Academy performance.
This year, 50 students from over 20 local high schools that will be taking the stage to show the power of dance while working with theatre professionals.
St. Benedicts Grade 10 student Charleigh Perry is one of them, and has been performing on stage since she was nine years old.
But this experience has shown her what it is really like to be a professional actor.
"This experience has really taught me more about the professional atmosphere, something that you can't get in community theatre or school plays," said Perry. "It's been amazing working with people who are as dedicated as I am and just like minded."
Perry said there aren't many kids who are into theatre as she is at St. Bennies, so this has been like looking into a whole new world.
The Youth Academy's high school musical program offers a completely free experience to aspiring actors or set crew.
All of the kids will be working with professional choreographers, directors and be put through a schedule of performing eight shows a week.
"I have been performing for a long time, but being in this schedule is definitely something that took a bit of time to get used too," added Perry. "I really do look forward to jumping right in and I don't look at the number of shows as a daunting task, but something fun."
Another Cambridge actor, Nicholas Johnson, a Grade 11 student at Galt Collegiate Institute, says being a part of this program has put things into perspective for the young performer.
"Before this I was thinking about being an engineer or a nurse. I wasn't really sure what I wanted to do," said Johnson. "This is really the best thing I've ever done in my life, it's really opened my eyes and I want to do this for the rest of my life."
Johnson will be taking on the role of no-fun, dance-hating principal Clark and is excited to have his first true acting role.
"This will be one of my more major roles and I'm playing a character that has a lot of lines. I'm so grateful to be able to be a part of this," he said.
Footloose will be coming on the heels of last years sold-out inaugural production of Legally Blonde and will see many returning cast members, including Perry, take the stage.
“Footloose marks another exhilarating chapter in our High School Musical Production Program, a testament to the profound impact of arts education on young minds,” said Alex Mustakas, Artistic Director of Drayton Entertainment.
“This program is more than a stage production; it is a platform for students to discover their voices, build confidence, and learn invaluable life skills that will inspire a lifelong love for the arts, emphasizing the vital role of creativity in shaping well-rounded individuals and vibrant communities."
Musical director Darryn De Souza said he thinks this program is the perfect vessel to help young talent find their voices and presence on stage.
"Just like any of the trades, experience is the best teacher and this really shows these kids if this is something they want to pursue," said De Souza. "They get to work like professionals and this is treated like a real job."
He added that a lot of the local students who go through these programs end up coming back and working for Drayton in the future in one way or another.
Both Perry and Johnson hope to work in the arts in the future and are starting to look at post secondary programs to help them on their journeys.
"Honestly I would recommend anyone who's looking at getting into acting to take this program. It might seem scary at first, but once you're in it it truly is the best feeling in the world," said Perry.
"This is somewhere where you can find yourself and just have an outlet."
Footloose will be on at the St. Jacobs Country Playhouse from Feb. 14 to Feb. 25.
Tickets can be found on their website.
