Spotlight!

I have had the pleasure of interviewing some excellent employees at Camp Broadway. Their backgrounds are truly remarkable, and I had a great time getting to know them. I was to ask them 3 questions: One about their background as a performer, one about specifics about their chosen career path, and finally a fun summer question just for kicks.
The first spotlight goes to a girl by the name of Kristine Bendul. As a passionate dancer from a young age, her origin story as a dancer starts because her legs were not fully developed. She was enrolled in the local dance studio because her physical therapist had recommended it. Her best friend Mary left to go to a dance school at the age of 10. She didn’t see her much during the school year until a long-awaited playdate occurred and she got to observe her en pointe. She decided that she had to learn whatever her friend Mary. One of her brothers later brought his new girlfriend to her dance recital. This was huge, because not only did she recognize Kristine as an excellent dancer, she also took classes at Alvin Ailey, located in New York. Through the brother’s girlfriend named Nisa’s guidance, she was taken to the School of American Ballet…at age 11.
Though she was remarkable, “it turned out that [she] wasn’t even good enough for their beginner level but they would like [her] to train somewhere and be brought back in a year. [Her] parents were disappointed, [and she] didn’t know any better but Nisa was thrilled. “Do you realize that they see hundreds of children? It is rare that they ask anyone to come back!” That was that. [her] parents found Irine Fokine School of Ballet in Ridgewood, NJ and [her] dance path was set.”
As for her favorite show she’s ever danced for, “Twyla Tharp’s Come Fly Away takes the cake”. She was the matinee lead of slim and danced for the lead of Kate. “Every show felt like an elegant evening on the town.” she explained, noting how soothing it was to dance to Frank Sinatra’s voice on stage accompanied by a live band. Sounds like an absolute dream, Kristine! Speaking of dreamy settings, she prefers to swim in a “Caribbean-esque” sea rather than lay in the sand.
For my second spotlight, I would like to introduce you to a director Jonathon Stahl. His favorite show that he has ever directed was the musical NINE for the Westchester Broadway Theatre that “had a wonderful cast and was a great opportunity.” The thing he looks forward to most about Camp Broadway would have to be the “new challenge of being Family Finale Director”. When given the choice between swimming in the ocean or a pool, he responded with the words “If I have my choice, I like to swim in the ocean THEN go rinse off in a pool! but if I have to pick one, I guess I would say a pool… a salt-water environment friendly pool.”