COUNTYWIDE : Ballet Puts Children on Their Toes

Just minutes after a ballet demonstration, the halls of the Orange County Performing Arts Center were filled with aspiring dancers.

Young girls twirled about, trying to keep their legs in the air like the ballerinas they had just seen. Young boys were more interested in trying out some jumps. And more than a few tripped over their feet as they tried out ballet stances.

About 3,000 Orange County fourth- and fifth-graders took time off from school Thursday to attend the demonstration and performance by members of the New York City Ballet. Although some students took naps during parts of the hourlong performance, others were thrilled at what they saw.

“It seemed easy, but I know it’s hard,” said Jennifer Hummer, 10, from Holder Elementary School in Buena Park.

Fourteen members of the dance company performed excerpts from five ballets and offered a sample dance class that explained various moves and advanced skills.

Many of the youngsters applauded after dancers performed a difficult-looking series of steps.

“So much of our lives in this business is being judged by critics who say ‘You danced well tonight’ or not,” said Heather Watts, a leading dancer with the New York City Ballet and a Los Angeles native. “For us as dancers, we all danced our heart out today. And the children saw that. (The applause) was distracting, but in a good way. I thought, ‘Oh jeez, wait until they see me stand on one toe and my head. They are going to go wild.’ ”

Thursday’s performance was the fourth in a series of educational programs designed to introduce young children to performing arts, said Judy Moore, general manager of the theaters at the Orance County Performing Arts Center.

The program series, called “Stage One, an Arts Adventure for Children,” started two weeks after the Center opened in 1986. It is paid for by a $25,000 grant from the Pacific Telesis Foundation.

“You really have to introduce people to performing arts at an early age,” Moore said. “This will be the audience of our future. If you have a good experience at an early age, it stays with you.”