This summer, she wanted to travel and attend a festival that offered classes in both dance and art.
“I searched online,” she said. “The few that were not only for professional dancers, offered only art or dance, but not both.”
Then she found the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.
She headed north three weeks ago and will spend her fourth week of traveling in Fairbanks, taking classes in surface design, Tai Chi, ballroom dancing, swing dancing and highland dancing.
“It’s kind of ironic that I come all the way to Alaska to learn highland dancing, isn’t it?’ she said. “It’s a little bit crazy.”
Plenty of other people traveled to Fairbanks this month for the 30th season of what might be the best kept secret in Alaska — a two-week festival that offers a mixture of classes and performance by nationally and world-renowned experts.
Sunday was the first day of what Festival Board Director Teresa Reed called “the world’s best festival.” A longtime festival-goer whispered an explanation to a companion in the concert hall. “That’s because it offers both teaching and performing.”
Judging by the lines of registrants, on the first day, there’s plenty of art, dance and music for everyone.
Christine Upton, of Fairbanks, is attending her 11th festival, and if she had her way, everyone would know about the Fairbanks Accordian Club — and everyone also would know about Joe Smiell, a recognized virtuoso on the button box and the piano accordian. One of the guest artists, he combines classical training with the flavor of the traditional Austrian folk accordian.
After a 6 p.m. class today, he’ll perform for residents of the Pioneer Home tonight.
Next week, Upton joins Smiell at a national accordian camp Outside.
Her friend Jane Steeves is signed up the second year. Both ladies encouraged beginners to give the accordian a try.
Both Miles Griffith and Greg Lameche, of Fort Wainwright, registered for their first festival. They are members of the 9th Army Band.
“This is our job,” said Griffith, who considers attending the festival professional development and a wonderful career perk.
Longtime friends Doris Pfalmer, of Fairbanks, and Jacqui Yeagle, of Anchorage, are attending the festival together because they want to learn about digital photography.
“I want to learn from the best,” said Pfalmer, who is a professional photographer. “And Barry McWayne is the best.”
McWayne is a well-known photographer in Alaska.
Although she has lived in Fairbanks for 30 years, this is the first time she signed up as a festival participant.
“I think this will be the first of many,” she said.
Rachel Grider, of California, said she was there because her voice coach in California suggested this is where she should come for more training.
The festival’s first concert is tonight at 8 featuring hometown musician Caitlin Warbelow playing Irish fiddle and Kyle Sanna on guitar. The concert features local dancers as well.
“I owe a lot of experiences I’ve had to local musicians/dancers in Fairbanks,” said Warbelow. “They supported me when I was little there, and I want them to have an opportunity to perform.”
Warbelow and Sanna will talk about tonight’s concert in the Great Hall and their festival experience on the Alaska Live radio program, at KUAC Public Radio, at 1 p.m. with Lori Neufeld.
For information on the festival, see www.fsaf.org or come to the UAF Great Hall and register in person.
Kris Capps is a freelance writer and columnist who lives near Denali National Park. She also is a media relations person for the Fairbanks Summer Arts Festival.
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