Arts & Entertainment
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville Hosts 'Open Mic' Show Dec. 30
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville school puts up family-friendly performance show, free and open to the public, on the eve of New Year's Eve.
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville will host a free, family-friendly Vaudeville show at Dickinson's dance studio Thursday, Dec. 30 from 7-8 p.m.
According to Donna Dickinson, the venue's owner and children's Vaudeville lessons instructor, this will be the "first ever 'New Year's Eve eve' show that is free and open to the public." The event will take on an open mic format.
Families can come to the event prepared with any flavor of performance – be it singing, dancing, or a combination – and perform for Vaudeville students, their families and the event's participants.
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"Vaudeville families were looking to start a tradition where anyone who wanted to get involved could do so," Dickinson said.
Dickinson, who was trained as a figure skater, said she opened Dickinson's Little Vaudeville school in 1993, when her own children wanted to perform an old-fashioned Vaudeville show. Students range in age from four to sixteen.
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"There was no place for my children to take Vaudeville lessons," Dickinson said. "Now we are the only strictly kids Vaudeville school in America, located right here in Palatine."
Dickinson said her school is not like other traditional dance schools, in that it functions like a performing troupe, as opposed to a school. Students perform not for profit for anniversary parties, retirement parties, churches, food pantries and a host of other community events.
"Our teaching atmosphere is totally non-competitive and we only use music dated before 1945. The kids also learn American history facts from 1875-1932, when Vaudeville had the most performers touring circuits around the United States," Dickinson said.
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville is also exceptional in that its students forego the audition process, as anyone who takes classes performs for benefit shows, usually every other month. Many dance schools only perform a couple of performances each year.
Vaudeville theatre, or "variety theatre," gained steam in the 19th century, and consisted of traveling artist troupes, whose acts included comedy, juggling, song and dance, musical instruments, skits and more.
Performances showcased on riverboats, and in town halls, saloons and amusement parks. Big names who kept Vaudeville alive included Buster Keeton, The Marx Brothers and a personal favorite: Charlie Chaplin.
Donna Dickinson clearly is passionate about what she does, and determined to keep the art alive.
"We were featured on TV, 190 North and WGN a few years ago, because we're so unusual; the only place kids can learn traditional Vaudeville. We're trying to keep the art form alive by introducing Vaudeville to a new generation of performers," Dickinson said.
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville recently performed its 116th show on Dec. 11 for a food pantry benefit, at Living Christ Lutheran Church in Arlington Heights.
You can keep Vaudeville alive by taking your family to the Dickinson's Little Vaudeville show on Dec. 30 at 7 p.m.
Dickinson's Little Vaudeville is located at 11 E. Northwest Highway, in what was formally Miss Delilah's Studio of Dance. For more information on the school, visit http://www.littlevaudeville.com/.