Hodson commands key role in Seattle Opera production

By Brenda Sexton

The Courier-Herald

Plateau residents may remember Holly Hodson as Cha Cha in White River High School's 1998 production of the musical "Grease." Now, the 2001 White River graduate can add Count Monterone's daughter to her resume.

Hodson opened Saturday night as a dancer playing the count's daughter in Seattle Opera's story of passion and revenge, "Rigoletto."

In the opera, Count Monterone is an old nobleman whose daughter has been ruined by the Duke, an attractive, young nobleman who spends his leisure time seducing every woman he sees.

Hodson said the production has been a fun experience. She is one of five dancers in the opera. She appears in about 17 minutes of the opening scene. This production of the opera has changed the setting to the 1930s and she had to learn a different form of dancing.

"I've done ballet my whole life, but this is sort of ballroom," she said. "It's just something different. I'm acting in it, too."

Since graduating, Hodson has been dancing, the last year as a soloist, with the Evergreen City Ballet in Auburn. She has danced with Evergreen since 1997. Prior to that she was a performer with The Ballet Workshop and Plateau Ballet Repertory Theatre in Enumclaw. She was also, until recently, a part-time student at Green River Community College.

"It's hard to do both," she said of the rigors of dance and school.

She landed her stint with Seattle Opera, her first professional production, after responding to an audition advertisement. She signed a two-month contract for the length of "Rigoletto."

"It's a fun thing to do right now," she said. "I'm not striving to be a professional ballerina. It's a lifestyle and I'm not sure it's what I want to do."

"Rigoletto" continues with 7:30 performances tonight, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday; in addition, there will be a 2 p.m. matinee Sunday. All are at Marion Oliver McCaw Hall, 321 Mercer St. in Seattle. For information go to www.seattleopera.org or call 800-426-1619.

Brenda Sexton can be reached at bsexton@courierherald.com.