Theft of costumes bewilders director
As far as bizarre and senseless thefts go, this one ranks right up there: San Jose Dance Theatre was burglarized last week, resulting in the loss of dozens of costumes, including more than $20,000 worth of tutus.
Unless gangs have started performing pas de deux in their spare time, what on earth would anyone want with costumes for “The Nutcracker”?
Artistic Director Linda Hurkmans said the handmade costumes are one of a kind and represent thousands of hours of time from costume directors Renee Forbes and Kay Pettitt and their team. San Jose Dance Theatre has produced the South Bay’s longest-running production of “The Nutcracker,” dating back to 1965, and many of the costumes stolen in the Jan. 6 burglary were used in the show, while others were planned for this May’s production of “The Sleeping Beauty,” which had been postponed from spring because of the COVID-19 pandemic.
“This hurts the children, who have already lost so much in the pandemic, the dancers and the audience who comes to us to find joy in our performances,” Hurkmans said. “It is very puzzling and very heartbreaking for us.”
The company is offering a $1,000 reward for tips that lead to the recovery of the costumes. It has also started a GoFundMe campaign to raise money to replace and recreate the costumes. Nearly $7,000 has been raised for the Costume Fund, which can be found atgofundme.com/f/sanjosedance-theatre- costumes. You can also subscribe to its “Digital Season,” which provides access to all the company’s online content.
“People have been very kind in showing their support from all over the country,” Hurkmans said. “We are trying to warn dance schools, companies and other performing arts organizations that if they are approached by someone trying to sell them costumes, it might
be our stolen goods.”
EXPLORING BELONGING THROUGH ART >> The Evergreen Valley College Art Gallery, in partnership with Chopsticks Alley Art, is hosting “Fragments,” a virtual art exhibition that features the work of four San Jose artists that shares their visual stories about assimilation, tradition and belonging. The exhibition, curated by Chopsticks Alley’s Trami Cron, is the first public showing of the art of Dr. Jerry Hiura, a beloved dentist and community leader in San Jose’s Japantown who died in December 2019 at age 72.
A tireless advocate for the arts as well as an artist himself, Hiura painted, wrote poetry and even designed jewelry, as well as co-founded the
performing arts group, Contemporary Asian Theater Scene. I’ve got to think he would be happy to see his work represented in this show.
The other artists featured are Doan Thoi, a photographer attending San Jose State; Hadi Agahee, an engineer who took art classes at Evergreen and used his paintings to challenge the mistreatment of women in his native Iran and around the world; and Mark F. Erickson, a photographer who was born in Vietnam and evacuated as part of Operation Babylift in the waning days of the Vietnam war.
A virtual opening reception is set for Jan. 15 at 5:30 p.m., with the artists, as well as performances by the Vietnamese Lasalian Youth Troupe and poet Shelley Valdez, accompanied on guitar by Esther Young. You can RSVP for the livestream event atfragments2021.
eventbrite.com. and you can check out the virtual art gallery at bit. ly/3bzkfkv.
NO FINES? FINE BY ME >>
Count the Santa Clara County Library District among the growing number of libraries that have decided access is more important than penalizing people with overdue fines. The library district — which includes branches in Cupertino, Saratoga and Gilroy — has not charged late fees for children’s material for several years, but the new policy covers all books, magazines, music and movies.
Existing late fines also will be forgiven, so nobody has to hide in shame (though fees for lost items will remain). So if your New Year’s resolution involved reading, you can get started at sccld.org.