ARVADA —For many entertainment acts, catapulting to fame after a second-place finish on NBC’s “America’s Got Talent” competition would be the high point of a career.
But for Lynne Waggoner-Patton and her Arvada-based dance troupe, the Silhouettes, the 2011 television appearance was just the beginning.
The group of 40 kids, ages 4 to 19, dance behind a backlit screen as music plays. The audience sees their shadows, which move together into shapes that tell a story.
Offers and inquiries poured in from around the world, sending the group to corporate events, fundraisers and theater.
Waggoner-Patton, who owns the ShadowLight Theatre and is the group’s choreographer, said their relocation last month to a new dance studio at 5525 W. 56th Ave. will help further that mission and take the group to new heights.
“We’re putting a set of wings on the wall right there,” Waggoner-Patton said as she gave a tour of the new studio. “We put wings on the logo right before we got on ‘America’s Got Talent,’ and all of a sudden we’re in front of a worldwide audience.”
Formerly the Rocky Mountain School of Dance, the ShadowLight Theatre houses the Silhouettes along with vocal, dance and acting training programs. The move has allowed the company to expand programming and lower costs so more kids can have access to dance lessons.
“We have other forms of income coming in now, and we found a way for students who may not have the income for dance lessons to be able to participate,” Waggoner-Patton said. “Anyone who signs up for one class in a month gets a free shadow class — so anyone can learn how to be a Silhouette.”
The new season kicks off with a red-carpet event Aug. 24, with shows running through December.
The journey began in 2009 when Waggoner-Patton was asked to create a show using dance, shadow and pictures to highlight the imagery of Colorado in an opening ceremony in front of 1,500 people for the 2009 SportAccord in Denver.
The performance caught the eye of Chris Starkey of Starkey Productions, a Denver-based talent agent who signed the group and began booking them for local shows.
“They were a little rough around the edges but that’s what my group does — takes talent like that and cultivates them to do neat things,” Starkey said. “It was just a group of kids that created a cool product and Lynne and I worked together to make it viable.”
In 2010, Starkey got a phone call from an “America’s Got Talent” producer asking about local acts that would be a good fit for the show.
The Silhouettes auditioned, were accepted and made it to the final round before taking second behind jazz singer Landau Eugene Murphy Jr.
Back in Colorado, the group’s newfound fame allowed them not only to tour but expanded opportunities for fundraising. The group donates portions of proceeds from performances to nonprofits, including Mount St. Vincent’s Home for Children and Denver’s Road Home.
Brimming with confidence between rehearsals at the ShadowLight Theatre last week, 14-year-old Lilliana Coughran talked about being one of the original cast members and how her life has changed through her Silhouette experience.
“Dancing is my favorite thing in the world — it’s my art, it’s my passion,” Coughran said. “And giving back to the community while being able to do something I love is the greatest part.”
Austin Briggs: 303-954-1729, abriggs@denverpost.com
The silhouettes
To purchase tickets to a Silhouettes performance or to learn more about dance classes, visit thesilhouettes.com or call 303-420-3097. Performances in Arvada will take place at the ShadowLight Theater, 5525 W. 56th Ave., Suite 300, Sept. 18 through Dec. 14.
Updated Sept. 22, 1:30 p.m.. This article has been revised to reflect the following correction. Originally, due to a reporter’s error, the wrong phone number was given for the dance troupe.
