Woman Behind Midwest Ballet Company Has Deep Dubuque Roots

The curtain on the University of Dubuque's Heritage Center's landmark 10th anniversary season is about to fall, with one month left in the season. However, that's not before this penultimate production is set to bring a sweeping, big city performance to the Tri-States in just a matter of weeks.

UD's Heritage Center will be hosting American Midwest Ballet's production of The Wizard of Oz on Friday, April 21st (7pm) and Saturday, April 22nd (2pm). Since its 2019 premiere, AM Ballet's production has drawn acclaim for its eye-popping retelling of the classic L. Frank Baum story that is true to its source as well as the history-making 1939 film adaptation.

Ahead of the show, Erika Overturff, Founder, CEO, and Artistic Director of American Midwest Ballet, was kind enough to call into the morning show to discuss her background and the show itself. American Midwest Ballet has a deep local connection as Erika Overturff is a native of Dubuque. She was born in Maquoketa, but lived in Dubuque for an extended period of time. It is here where she cut her teeth on performing:

I had the best training here in Dubuque [....] the Academy of Ballet [has] a wonderful program for training dancers [....] but also [offers] so many performance opportunities to do full-length ballets, perform with live music with the Symphony of Dubuque. It was just such an incredible opportunity that shaped my love of ballet, and I carry those lessons that I learned not only about dance but about how to conduct an arts organization from my experiences in the Dubuque area.

Overturff spoke about her Dubuque roots, the ethos of American Midwest Ballet, and the company's extremely popular Wizard of Oz show, which is sure to be a great complement to what has been a great season of shows for UD Heritage Center.

Overturff also offered some advice those to seeking a career in the performing arts space, or those who simply like to dance in their free-time:

I think that dance can be such a fun and rewarding [activity], whether it's you know a passtime or something you do for fun, or something that you want to take further and do as a career, whether it's perform or teach [....] The arts are just such a rewarding part of our life and culture, so if it's something you enjoy, follow your passion, and it can bring you a lot of joy in life.

The Wizard of Oz will serve as UD Heritage Center's second-to-last show before the conclusion of their 10th anniversary season. Two shows are scheduled for Friday, April 21st and Saturday, April 22nd. Tickets are available to purchase on Heritage Center's website, or by calling their box office at (563) 585-SHOW. You can also visit their box office in-person, which is located at 2255 Bennett Street in Dubuque.

Take a listen to my interview with Erika Overturff of American Midwest Ballet below!