Hannah Weber is part of Louisiana’s first dance group ever invited to perform at the Library of Congress in Washington, D.C. – the Norco native was in fact at the airport Tuesday night, preparing to travel for Thursday’s production.
She’s also showing more than a bit of toughness to do so.
Weber broke her foot during a Sunday night rehearsal, just four days before the performance. She remains determined to take part in the show, though she said her role would likely be modified.
“I’m going to try to dance as much as I can in the show, but I don’t know,” Weber said. “We’re changing some stuff and trying to make it work.”
Weber is part of Melange Dance Company, which is taking its production “Love Letters of World War II” to the Library of Congress. The show is based on actual World War II letters and the two-hour historical narrative focuses on several groups at the time – French resistance women, including their underground work and letters, Cajun soldiers, whose ability to speak both French and English was valuable during the war, and African-American soldiers, whose fight for victory abroad was intertwined with the fight for civil rights at home.
“The Library of Congress heard about the performance and invited the cast to perform as part of the Veterans Project,” said Weber. “It’s a really cool opportunity. And it’s a really awesome show. We rehearsed all summer and we had three shows in New Orleans.”
Weber, who also teaches dance at the St. Charles Parish Satellite Center, said the show offered a unique showcase of Louisiana history specifically through the Cajun soldiers narrative.
At age 38, she describes herself as an ‘older dancer’ – she began at the age of 3 and said dance is simply a part of who she is, and her favorite way to express herself.
“I’ll be 39 in November. So, I’ve still got it – other than breaking my foot,” Weber quipped. “But I just love being a part of such a great show and great people who care so much about the show and dance … I love dance and I have my whole life, so it’s nice to be surrounded with people that care that much about their art as well.”
D.C. will be another stop for Weber, whose dance career has seen her perform around the country. She attended the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts in high school and then the University of North Carolina School of the Arts.
She then worked with Cirque du Soleil for two years in Los Angeles. After that, she freelanced. She danced and choreographed in New York for nearly a decade before returning to Louisiana six years ago.
She created the dance program for the Satellite Center – and as a teacher, she follows in the footsteps of her parents and longtime St. Charles Parish educators Stephen and Becky.
“And now I’m just starting to kind of get back to performing, because I just can’t not do that,” Weber said. “It’s been a lifelong journey, with good times and bad.”
She said dance is soothing for her.
“I have a lot of anxiety, and when I dance, it’s just like my safe place,” Weber said. “I also feel that the clearest I can communicate is with my body. It grounds me, it keeps me present. And I just love the exploration of it, creating a message or an atmosphere through movement. I just can’t get enough of it.”
It’s also a craft she says is impossible to completely master, so there’s always more to learn and build upon.
“I’m a perfectionist, and for a long time it frustrated me that it’s never going to be perfect,” Weber said. “But now, I find it’s something I love about dance. There’s always somewhere else to go with it. There’s always something else to figure out. And as I get older, I’m just really loving that chance to create. And I love sharing it with my students as well.”
