BY KAREN BOSSICK

This year’s seniors at Footlight Dance danced the roles of bread crumbs when Footlight Dance Centre last staged a performance of “Hansel & Gretel” in 2014.

Now, more than a decade later, they will take the stage playing such roles as Hansel and Gretel and the Gingerbread Witch in the very story where their dance journey began.

Footlight Dance Centre will stage “Hansel & Gretel” Friday through Sunday, May 1-3, at The Wood River High School Performing Arts Theater. It is the 42nd annual spring performance and the first under the direction of MacKenzie King, who stepped into her role as the studio’s director last fall.

The performance will start at 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday and 2 p.m. Sunday. Tickets are $10, available in advance at Hank & Sylvie’s in Ketchum and Hailey and at Iconoclast Books in Hailey.

This year’s seniors are Catherine Herrera as The Baker, Grace Sauvageau as The Stepmother and Cora Ward as Queen of the Forest. Additional lead roles are performed by Van Flandro as Hansel, Layla Beacham as Gretel, Charlotte Brickley as the Gingerbread Witch, Kaya Eliason as the Sleep Fairy and Zoey Kolb as the Woodcutter.

The performance boasts an array of various dance styles, including ballet, jazz, modern, tap and hip hop performed by Footlight students ranging in age from 5 through high school.

The dances were choreographed by Footlight Dance Centre faculty members Mackenzie King, Hilarie Neely, Gabi Bryant, Mia Castro, Robyn Fox, Hayley Henderson, Bronwyn Hanson, Jensen Sutton, Leah Taylor, and Anne Winton. Guest choreographers Megan Rhodes of Company Jazz and Sienna Watson contributed choreography for two of the Advanced Company pieces.