By Dixon Bledsoe
When a 3-year-old boy as asked what AAPAC meant to him, he told his mom “AAPAC means love.”
Love, kindness and instruction are what students receive at AAPAC – the American Academy of Performing Arts Corp.
For her professional and benevolent work, Marta Hazekamp was selected as the Silverton Chamber of Commerce 2014 “Distinguished Service” award winner.
Hazekamp was caught off guard when chamber members surprised her to announce the honor. “To be honored like this is amazing and humbling,” she said.
A professional dancer and singer, Marta was in New York City for a final callback to the on-Broadway remake of A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum when the Twin Towers collapsed on Sept. 11, 2001. The traumatic event shook America and shattered lives and dreams hers included.
“There was no help for people like me – jobless, homeless, in a city that couldn’t absorb people,” she said. “Everyone was in debt. No work for performers. My dream of being on Broadway was ripped away. I was that close. I just felt helpless.”
Out of tragedy came a new beginning. She returned to Silverton and opened AAPAC, where students learn ballet, hip hop, singing, theater, music, jazz, and a host of other performing arts-related skills. Today 172 students attend the classes at 222 High St.
Sheldon Lesire, whose daughters have taken lessons from “Miss Marta,” knows why she was chosen for the Distinguished Service award.
“Marta chose to put in extremely long hours for a marginal paycheck and the satisfaction of teaching others to express themselves through art, song, dance, drama, and music,” Lesire said. “It is one thing to admire starving artists and entirely another to take on that lifestyle in order to teach others to be artists.”
Mandy Petrik’s daughters, Cece and Charlie, also have taken classes.
“No kid is allowed to say ‘can’t.’ That’s not a word at AAPAC,” Petrik said. “She has the perfect combination of teaching technically correct ballet, yet fostering that joy of learning.”
Hazekamp enjoys working with her students, ranging from little ones to 72 years old.
“You can’t pay the bills on hugs, kisses and colored pictures. But I believe in karma. Good comes back to me. This award is a result of that. I am living my truth – doing what I am suppose to be doing,” she said.
She has helped kids with special needs and of all persuasions and abilities.
“We don’t point out differences, we embrace them. Everyone coming here has challenges. We bestow grace upon each other. For me, it is quite simple – you are perfect as you are, who you are, where you are right now.”
Hazekamp praises her staff – Christine Carlisle, who has been with the Boston Ballet; Elizabeth Jansen-Byrkit, Emily Hanson, Emily York, Margie Will, Trevor Stewart, Haley Bergschneider, Michelle Hall and Corey Christensen.
“They are incredible and so accomplished. We are so lucky to have teachers of their caliber.”
Carlisle sums it up. “I was so happy to find an arts academy which upheld a professional training standard in an environment of unconditional love and support for the individual student. At AAPAC we infuse joy into the work while encouraging students to emerge themselves completely in the process of bringing their beautiful unique gifts to any of the given art forms they love.”
