Born to dance

When the curtain goes up on the Los Angeles-based Diavolo dance company's Anchorage performances tonight and tomorrow, the audience may recognize the face of one of the 10 dancers.

Garrett Wolf, a 1995 Colony High School graduate, is making his return to Alaska as part of the company. He has danced with Diavolo for two years, and the performances this weekend are his first in Alaska since leaving for California two years ago.

"I am so excited about the performance here. I was interviewed a couple days ago in the theater, and when I walked in there, it was like going down memory lane for me," Wolf said. "I got my first paying job as a dancer when 'A Chorus Line' played there. This weekend is definitely going to be exciting."

Because of the small cast size of Diavolo, Wolf's excitement is starting to rub off on his cast mates.

"We really are a family, and when we see each other get excited, it really affects everybody else," Wolf said. "They are the best people to work with."

Diavolo was formed in 1992, and a chance meeting led Wolf to the dance company. In high school, Wolf was into gymnastics and theater, and his work in gymnastics led to cheerleading. It was in cheerleading that Wolf learned an important aspect that has carried over into Diavolo.

"You have to trust your partner completely, and I got that in cheerleading. You are responsible for catching them a certain way during stunts. In Diavolo, it's the same thing. We trust each other with our lives," Wolf said.

After graduating from high school, Wolf attended the University of Alaska Anchorage. In 1999, he got the chance to see a Diavolo performance, and ultimately met with the cast. During a conversation, it was mentioned to Wolf that the company was holding auditions in California. Despite not having any formal dance training, Wolf decided to take the chance and audition.

"I wasn't nervous because I saw all the acrobatics they were doing, and I knew I could take what I learned in gymnastics and apply it during the audition," Wolf said. "I knew it was my ticket out of Alaska."

Three months after the audition, Wolf was notified he was a cast member of one of the leading progressive dance companies in the country. He moved to Los Angeles, and has been dancing with Diavolo ever since.

"I knew there were schools I could go to to get more training, but I couldn't really afford it, so I studied myself and did it on my own," Wolf said. "That's what I love about Diavolo -- there are so many different backgrounds among the dancers. Some have theatrical backgrounds, some have gymnastics backgrounds, some have martial arts backgrounds.

"I'm learning so much more because of the variety of backgrounds," Wolf said.

As part of the training routine, each person teaches the rest of the company about their area of expertise. Wolf, for example, can teach the class about gymnastics, while another cast member may teach about ballet or something similar.

"Everybody teaches everybody. It's awesome," Wolf said.

In two years, Wolf has been all around the country performing with Diavolo. "I just wanted to see the world, and Diavolo has given that chance," he said.

There is talk about international travel, Wolf said, and that thrills him even more. He has no plans to leave the dance company soon, but he does have a plan for his life.

"I want to be with Diavolo a while. It's a growing company and it is winning numerous awards, but eventually, I'd love to make it to the East Coast and try Broadway," Wolf said.