CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.—The “Dancing Queen of Chattanooga” saw Shen Yun Performing Arts International Company for the first time at the lavish Tivoli Theatre, a former movie palace.
Dancer and business owner Heather Dedmon wore a vibrant red dress and a small velvet hat trimmed with netting to the Shen Yun performance, which she described as a perfect evening. She said she became the dancing queen by studying ballet since childhood, and by choreographing dances and performing often around Chattanooga. She is also an entrepreneur, starting a cleaning business when she was 17 years old that still operates today.
Miss Dedmon said that as a dancer she had been watching the feet of the performers, admiring their precision. “They make it look easy but it is not easy,” she said.
She said as an American ballet dancer, she is accustomed to wearing leotards that show the body. “I was looking at the costumes, how covered and modest they were,” she said. Miss Dedmon said she noticed that the female dancer’s skirts were knee length or longer, very graceful, and that the costumes added to the fluidity of the dance.
As a choreographer, she builds on her classical base of ballet, and learns from country music dance styles, ice skating, and gymnastics, she said.
The choreography of Shen Yun astonished her. “I was holding my mouth open the whole time, just wow!” said Miss Dedmon.
Miss Dedmon has been a member of the Chattanooga Chamber of Commerce since 2009, and has worked hard to grow her business, Dream Cleaning. She is also a member of the National Association of Professional Women.
She said she hopes to see Shen Yun again next year in Chattanooga.
New York-based Shen Yun Performing Arts has three touring companies that perform simultaneously around the world.
For more information, visit ShenYunPerformingArts.org
[video]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o3WTKCEA4tE[/video]
