LH student lands male lead role in ballet
Justin Wirick of Uniontown didn’t mean to become a dancer. “I always wanted to be a gymnast, and when I was about 6 years old, my parents enrolled me in a tumbling class at the Ginny Tanner dance studio,” the 17-year-old son of Brian and Linda Wirick said. “It was just natural that I would try dance.”
When Tanner sold the studio, Wirick joined Koza and Company. For the past six years, he has also been studying voice privately with David Martin of Connellsville.
A senior at Laurel Highlands Senior High School, Wirick said he is truly enjoys the sawdust and greasepaint.
“I’m really comfortable on stage and like to try out for the lead,” he said.
He has performed in every high school musical and has attended summer dance intensives at both the Julliard School, New York City, and Point Park University, Pittsburgh. He has already accepted a scholarship to continue his education at Point Park.
“I feel really comfortable there. And I already know my way around.”
He has an ultimate goal.
“I would really like to have the lead in a musical and sing and dance on Broadway,” he said.
On Dec. 9-11, Wirick will perform the male lead, the Cavalier, in “The Nutcracker Suite” as part of the cast of the Mon Valley Dance Council of California University of Pennsylvania.
The female lead, Sugar Plum Fairy, will be danced by Jerrica S. Blankenship, 15, a sophomore cheerleader at Morgantown High School in West Virginia.
Though Wirick and Blankenship had never met, they had heard about each other when performing in competitions.
“It’s nice to finally meet her and dance with her,” Wirick said.
Blankenship, has a similar background. She has taken dance lessons since she was 5 years old at Kat and Company in Morgantown. She is a veteran of competitions and recitals.
For two years she has been attending the American Ballet Theatre intensives in New York City, offered “mostly during the summer.”
The daughter of Kevin and Dedra Blankenship, she is hoping that the next audition with the ABT will lead her to a dance scholarship there.
Blankenship said the auditions for “Nutcracker” were rigorous.
“There was a lot of hard point work,” she said.
“It was difficult to get all the timing together,” she continued. “But I am so excited I got such a big role.”
She said she was very glad to receive a quick call from Marovic-Anthony.
“I didn’t have to wait very long before she called to tell me I had the part,” she said. “It’s an awesome part.”
With auditions behind them and rehearsals nearly complete, both Blankenship and Wirick have their eyes focused on Dec. 9-11 when they will perform at the State Theatre Center for the Arts in Uniontown.
“She’s an amazing dancer,” Wirick said.