Late to the dance: Stowe man, a dancer’s dad, discovers his calling

Dance academy students will perform the classic ballet, along with “An Evening of Dance,” this weekend at the Dibden Center for the Arts at Johnson State College.

The ballet tells the story of a grumpy old dollmaker, Dr. Coppelius, who has made a life-size dancing doll. It is so lifelike that Franz, a young villager, becomes infatuated with it and casts aside his true love, Swanhilde.

She shows him his folly by dressing as the doll, pretending to make it come to life, and ultimately saving him from an untimely end at the hands of Dr. Coppelius.

Sharat plays the role of the dollmaker.

“Dr. Coppelius is kind of a loner,” said Helena Sullivan, the dance academy’s founder and artistic director. “People in town make fun of him. They think he’s strange.”

Sharat was dressed for the part during a rehearsal last week. He wore a top hat, a tapestry-patterned vest and an orange overcoat with tails. The bottom half of his costume wasn’t ready yet so, he completed the outfit with khaki cargo shorts and white gym socks.

Sullivan walked Sharat through his role, demonstrating how he should move like a stiff, old man, how he should hold his cane, and even how he should toss his overcoat onto a coat rack.

Dancing dad

Sharat, who lives in Stowe, has always considered himself more of a dance dad than a dance sensation. His daughter Alex takes lessons at the dance academy and dances with TRIP, its competitive dance company. For years, he has shuttled her to dance classes and to weekend competitions held throughout New England.

At a hip-hop competition in Massachusetts last November, he discovered his innate dancing ability.

During the competition’s final showcase, parents were invited on stage for a hip-hop dance off. Sharat — whose dance history was limited to parties in high school and college — took to the stage to have some fun. He had no idea that his moves would bring the 500 audience members to their feet.

“Here Jeff comes and takes down the house,” Sullivan said. “He shocked us all.”

Sharat survived several elimination rounds as the audience members cheered for their favorite dancers.

Finally, only Sharat and a middle-aged mom remained on stage. The woman — wearing a loose-fitting shirt — did a handstand and unintentionally flashed the audience. The resulting roar of applause clinched her place as No. 1 dancer.

Sullivan believes Sharat might have won if not for the flashing episode.

“He’s got rhythm; he’s a natural,” she said.

A You-Tube video of Sharat’s performance went viral. Dance academy students posted words of praise for Sharat on the academy’s Facebook page. What did his daughter think of his sudden fame? “She totally loves it,” said Maria Sullivan, a dance instructor at the academy. “She’s the type of kid who wouldn’t be embarrassed at all.”

No April fool

This is the dance academy’s 20th recital and the second time its students have performed “Coppelia.”

Finding adult male ballet dancers to play princes and other lead roles has always been problematic. For the past several years Sullivan has hired Vladimir Roje, a principal dancer with the New Jersey Ballet Company, to dance the male lead. She sometimes selects men from the community to play the minor roles.

“I was struggling with who would be Dr. Coppelius,” Sullivan said. “Sometimes it’s better to have a non-dancer. Dancers can make it too balletic.”

An instructor at the academy, who had seen Sharat perform at the hip-hop competition, suggested that he might fit the role. Sullivan called Sharat April 1 to offer it to him. At first, he thought it was an April Fool’s Day joke. When he realized the offer was genuine, he agreed to take it.

Sharat, who is retired, has been rehearsing at the studio regularly. He appears in four scenes during the one-hour ballet, during which he has multiple interactions with the other dancers.

The dancers’ skill level has improved significantly since the academy held its first recital at Stowe High School. This year, several have been invited to be part of American Ballet Theater summer programs. And a few graduating seniors have been accepted into elite college dance programs.

Last week, Sharat was in top form while practicing a scene with Roje. While he can’t emulate Roje’s gravity-defying leaps and rapid-fire spins, he held his own.

“You can’t take yourself too seriously,” Sharat said. Using hand gestures, body language and dramatic facial expressions, he transformed into the curmudgeon toymaker.

At one point, he even scrambled over a large table to chase Roje while keeping step to the musical beat.

Sullivan carefully observed, offering suggestions, demonstrating pantomimes, and smiling broadly when he mastered a piece of choreography.

“Good. Excellent,” said Sullivan, as the music ended and Sharat turned and waited for her approval.

Stowe Dance Academy • “Coppelia” and “An Evening of Dance”

June 1 and 2, 6 p.m. • June 3, 1 p.m. • Dibden Center for the Arts, Johnson State College • Tickets: Adults, $18; 12 and under, $15; at Stowe Dance Academy, 177 S. Main St., or at the door, if available.

253-5151 • www.stowedance.com • info@stowedance.com