MEMBER SPOTLIGHT
KRISTA ALLERDING & THE ALLERDING FAMILY
beautiful white tutus as the music crescendos and the curtain falls. I mean, come on! How beautiful! It makes me feel like a little kid every time. I have goosebumps just thinking about it. Then, seeing our kids up on that stage getting better and better every year; it's an exciting and unforgettable experience!
Why are the arts important to your family?
Tell us your CTAC “origin story.” When and how did you get involved with Crooked Tree Arts Center? Growing up in Petoskey, Crooked Tree Arts Center has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. My parents, Alan and Audrey Secrest, always prioritized the arts for my homeschooling, a tradition we carry on in homeschooling our children. I remember seeing shows at the CTAC, taking drawing classes, and playing violin in what became the Dorothy Gerber Strings Program. How does your family engage with CTAC? What classes do you take? After seeing a performance of The Nutcracker by CTAC School of Ballet at the Great Lakes Center for the Arts, I wanted our kids to be able to experience that firsthand, even though we now live an hour away. Soon enough, one ballet class a week for our first little aspiring ballerina has evolved into four days a week of multiple levels of ballet for four dancers, various art and clay classes, and Rock Jam with Big Water Creative Arts. With that, our family is moving closer to Petoskey this spring! What is your family’s favorite part of being members of CTAC? It feels wonderful to be part of such a vibrant and supportive community of artistic individuals. We are immensely grateful to all the passionate teachers at CTAC for investing their time and talents into our children. Witnessing the results of the children's ambition, combined with the care of their instructors,
has been a truly rewarding experience! We all enjoy visiting the gallery to see the ever-changing, beautiful displays of artwork, and it's always a pleasure to run into Jason who is always so friendly and does a great job keeping the place running! Over the years, what has been your family’s favorite CTAC memory? Personally, one of my favorite moments every year is the Waltz of the Snowflakes. The ballerinas dancing in the sparkling, falling snow in their
Where to start? We love the brain and motor skills development for our kids, the self-confidence that performance brings, the problem-solving, discipline, and concentration. All great stuff! But what pulls me in the most is the joy of it. It feels great when I can make something beautiful, and when I can use my talents to contribute something. I want that for my kids, too. Whether dancing, painting, playing music, or getting covered in clay, it's just plain fun. When you give art shape, the art shapes you, too.
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