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Apr 24, 2026

Local, regional dancers featured with Barton’s Dance Department as part of festival

Posted Apr 24, 2026 2:30 PM
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By JOE VINDUSKA
BCC

Barton’s Dance Department will host a celebration of rhythm, passion, and artistic dance in the region with its “Moving in the Heartland” Dance Festival at 7 p.m. April 30 and May 1 in the Fine Arts Auditorium.

Each show will host different dance guest artists from Central Kansas.  Thursday’s concert will spotlight homegrown talent from local dance studios, Aly’s Dance Studio and Be Dance Studio. Friday’s show will feature the Metropolitan Ballet of Wichita, who will perform “A Ragtime Ballet" to live accompaniment by pianist Aubrey Watson. She will play music composed by Scott Joplin and Joseph Lamb. Also performing is Barton Dance alumni and Street Dancer, CJ Orozco. Both nights will include dances from Barton Dance Theatre, Barton’s Dance classes, and solos from Barton students.

Barton Dance Theatre performs “Tie Me to the Earth” at last year’s dance festival.&nbsp; (photo by Joe Vinduska/BCC)
Barton Dance Theatre performs “Tie Me to the Earth” at last year’s dance festival.  (photo by Joe Vinduska/BCC)

Graduating Barton Dance student Nineth Pereyra Zuany says this year’s concert is especially meaningful to her.

 “I’m so excited to have the opportunity to play a bigger role in this concert, as it is my last one with Barton,” she said. “As a soloist and choreographer of a dance, I’m very eager for the audience to experience all the different emotions within these unique dance pieces. One of my favorite dances that I will be performing is ‘I Rise’, which entails a deeper meaning of how my path has led me to where I am. My time at Barton has given me so many opportunities to grow as a dancer and as a person. Barton has prepared me for my next steps.

Festival tickets are five dollars at the door. Children 5 years and under and Barton students get in for free. All proceeds go to support Barton Dance Program activities and next fall’s Nutcracker performance. For more information, go to shows.bartonccc.edu or contact Bielek at (620) 792-9253 or bielekd@bartonccc.edu.