Hope College dance affiliate StrikeTime Dance Theatre will present a live dance event for children, “Dancing Through the Pages: Last Stop on Market Street,” on Saturday, Nov. 5, at 10 a.m. at Herrick District Library, and Wednesday, Nov. 9 at 10 a.m. and 7 p.m.in the Concert Hall of the college’s Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts.
The public is invited. Admission is free.
Performing in collaboration with The Little Read Lakeshore, StrikeTime Dance Theatre will present author Matt de la Peña’s picture book “Last Stop on Market Street,” through music and dance, bringing the words and illustrations to life. Illustrated by Christian Robinson, the story tells about CJ and his Nana as they take an adventure celebrating kindness, empathy and gratitude in unexpected places. The audience will experience the story unfolding during the live performance.
The Wednesday, Nov. 9, performances will include an author event presented by Matt de la Peña.
The performances by StrikeTime Dance Theatre are among more than 100 events being presented throughout the West Michigan Lakeshore in conjunction with the NEA Big Read and Little Read Lakeshore during the latter half of October and the month of November. This year, the community-wide programs are exploring Greek mythology, the Hero’s Journey, and untold stories through the lives of characters ranging from an ancient mythological enchantress-goddess to a modern child and well-known superheroes.
In addition to “Last Stop on Market Street” for children, the Little Read Lakeshore is featuring four books for middle readers: Homer’s “The Odyssey”; and the young-adult novels “Miles Morales: Spider-Man,” by Jason Reynolds; “Superman Dawnbreaker,” also by Matt de la Peña; and “Zita the Spacegirl,” by Ben Hatke. The NEA Big Read Lakeshore is featuring “Circe,” by Madeline Miller.
The NEA Big Read is a program of the National Endowment for the Arts in partnership with Arts Midwest, and the Little Read Lakeshore is made possible in part by a grant from the Michigan Humanities. Both are organized by Hope College with community partners throughout West Michigan. More information about this year’s programs, including a complete schedule of events, is available at bigreadlakeshore.com
Audience members who need assistance to fully enjoy any event at Hope are encouraged to contact the college’s Events and Conferences Office by emailing events@hope.edu or calling 616-395-7222 on weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. Updates related to events are posted when available in the individual listings at hope.edu/calendar
Herrick District Library is located at 300 S. River Ave., between 12th and 13th streets. The Jack H. Miller Center for Musical Arts is located at 221 Columbia Ave., between Ninth and 10th streets.