“I am the storm”: Ballet and Identity in "Fancy Dancer"

Soft rain echoed through the audience, the noise coming from the stage. On October 12, at 7:30 PM, the empty stage at Leo K. Theater was complete with a ballet barre, window, and glowing exit sign above a door with light streaming through it. It was cozy, if a bit lonely. The theater was set up as a dance studio, but when the performance began, it became clear that the story extended far beyond the aspects of dance. Instead, the world premiere of the play Fancy Dancer feels uniquely like a conversation with a friend, saying, “You are not alone.”

Seattle Rep and Seattle Children’s Theater have collaborated to introduce this autobiographical play, written by Larissa FastHorse and directed by Chay Yew, to a variety of ages. FastHorse and actress Burgandi Trejo Phoenix alternate performances, playing the show’s single role of Lara. Lara grew up in a small town in South Dakota off the Lakota reservation with her adoptive parents. Half Lakota and half white, she spent many of her formative years feeling like she was too much or not enough of both sides of her heritage. This discontent with her identity was mirrored in her body. She struggled with tibial torsion, which made it difficult for her to rotate her legs outward, also known as turnout. Because of this, she was deemed unworthy of dance opportunities again and again, from her second-grade ballet class to her eventual college one. Still, she persevered with her dream and set herself on following the footsteps of Maria Tallchief, a famous prima ballerina, who was also half-Indigenous. This link between identity, emotions, and dance is the core of the production.

Before the performance began, the expected intercom came on. Instead of the usual, “silence your cellphones,” it invited the audience to “please experience this play as your full, authentic self.” And that I did. The audience frequently burst into laughter or sounds of shock and sympathy in equal parts, and I was often close to tears before the script switched to a well-placed bit of comedy. 

This emotional aspect is palpable even in the first line of the play. Lara starts explaining her early childhood by talking about storms, which she believes give her strength. This symbolism follows her through the rest of the play as she becomes an embodiment of the turbulence, powerfully paving her way through life. Lara is intrigued by the fancy dancers, the name for traditional Lakota dancers, and their individuality. Ballet feels rigid to her, girly and sparkly, and not right. In fact, the only reason she started it was for orthopedic benefits. Eventually, ballet becomes a safe space where she can feel free and strong—even though she faces challenges. It becomes clear that she has carved out a space separate from both art forms. The audience grows with Lara as she learns to accept her way of dancing and living. Accepting herself is the final step to creating an authentic future.

Fancy Dancer may be a one-woman show, but it never feels like it. This is partly due to the lighting and the sound effects (ballet shoes on hardwood, giggles, a ballet instructor counting off a beat), which make up for a complete lack of set changes. FastHorse never leaves the stage, but Chay Yew’s directing still makes the audience feel like they are traveling through life with Lara.  FastHorse enhances this feeling by dancing around the stage with infectious energy and emotion, behaving like each age she is pretending to be. From a wobbly toddler at the doctor’s office to an excited and nervous teenager, she drew me into her orbit, making me forget that anyone else existed. 

At the end, when Lara finally achieves her dream, she makes a segue back to the start. Just like every major event in her life, it seems to coincide with a storm. But this time, she says that the storm is not the reason for her strength and proclaims, “I am the storm.” A crack of thunder and flash of light support her newfound confidence and identity, however cliché it may be. Although this recentering is nothing new, the hope-focused theme of the play is boosted by the unique closing dance. This was the touching part, blending traditional ballet and fancy dance elements. The rhythmic beating of the drum seemed to latch onto my heartbeat, bringing into focus the core message of the play: art is universal, no matter where you come from or how you feel. If you are lost or alone, connection and true identity can be found through art.

Lead photo: Larissa FastHorse in Fancy Dancer (2025) at Seattle Rep. Scenic Design by Junghyun Georgia Lee. Production Design by Caite Hevner and Ann Slote. Photo by Sayed Alamy.

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