Hop On WAC

Local children will have the chance to hop on stage with “The Velveteen Rabbit” this weekend.

ODC/Dance presents “The Velveteen Rabbit” Saturday at the Walton Arts Center, and eight children from the New School in Fayetteville will perform with the dance company.

Based on the story by Margery Williams, the production tells the tale of a toy rabbit that becomes real, according to a Walton Arts Center news release. The show includes music, dance and narration and “celebrates the unique relationship between a little boy and his stuffed rabbit and the enduring power of love.”

Amy Kessler, director of dance at the New School, rehearsed the choreography with the students for the performance. She said ODC/ Dance performs a mixture of modern dance, ballet and pedestrian movements. Kessler says the kids are really interacting with the dancers and are dancing and performing, not just in the background.

The kids rehearsed with the professional dancers earlier this week, and Kessler says she was amazed how the kids starting acting like professionals themselves.

Tate Kessler, a 9-year-old third-grader from Fayetteville, is participating in the show and has been dancing for about six years. Tate, who is Kessler’s son, does ballet and hip hop, and he says he has participated in his mom’s dance recitals since he was 3 years old.

Tate takes on various roles in “The Velveteen Rabbit,” such as a toy riding on a toy horse and a present. His favorite part is when he is a package and is lifted up by a dancer. He says this has been a really fun experience, and he has made lots of new friends.

Another local in the performance is Fayetteville resident Julia Lehr, a 10-yearold who is in fourth grade. Julia has been doing ballet since she was age 3. She plays Skipper, a character she notes is not in the book, and she skips around like the bunny and narrator. She says it has been really cool to participate in “The Velveteen Rabbit.”

“It’s a different dance than ballet, so it’s really fun to do,” she says.

Julia notes she once had a small role in a production of “The Nutcracker,” and she has also participated in dance recitals at school every year.

Her favorite part of the story is when the rabbit becomes real in the end. She says she is looking forward to the whole experience of being part of the production.