- April 24, 2024
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When it comes to putting on productions, Debby Mac Donald wears all the hats.
She writes original scripts, choreographs dances, makes the sets, orders the costumes and directs her student performers onstage at the annual recital for her "Dance and Act with Ms. Debby" classes. It's a lot of work, but if you ask her, it's more like a labor of love. And she certainly does love theater.
"I am passionate," she said. "And everybody has vision right? All creative people have visions and you want to see it realized."
Mac Donald's classes have been a presence at the Nova Community Center for the last 18 years. And on the first Sunday of June, always on the week of her birthday, her student performers put on a show at the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center, located at 399 N. U.S. 1. This year's show, titled "Jungle" is scheduled for 1:30 p.m. on Sunday, June 5, and will feature about 35 students, ages 4 to 16. "Jungle" is about an expedition that runs into a bit of trouble along their journey. Tickets cost $15.
Every year, the Port Orange resident picks a different theme for the recital, and once she's made her decision, begins writing the script. She began working on "Jungle" in August, and continued to work on it until the end of April, all while keeping her students' strengths and talents in mind.
"It's worked out good so far," said Mac Donald as she laughed. "You know, when you do a show like this with kids, you get everything together and you hope it flies. It always does fly."
Mac Donald puts her decades of experience to work.
Originally from a small town in Canada, her exposure to dance began at 5 years old. She remembers her strict French ballet teacher — and how great of a teacher she was.
"It was a good introduction," she said. "A good way to build the dedication that you need to have if you want to be any good at anything, right? You just have to stick with it and make it fun for yourself and make it fun for others."
Mac Donald lived in Los Angeles for 30 years, having graduated from the UCLA with a theater arts degree. She worked in local theater, film, commercials and other related fields. Upon graduating from college, she began teaching at the Fred Astaire Dance Studios, where she also received dance training.
She moved to Florida in 1997 to be closer to her father, and she then began teaching at studios in Volusia County until the position at the Nova Community Center opened. Once it did, Mac Donald thought it was a great opportunity to create something new for the community.
It's exciting to see the children grow.
"Not only in their dancing or their acting, but they're just so poised on stage," Mac Donald said. "I guess it's fun to see them grow up."
And though she works hard on the shows herself, she also said she has great support from her students' parents who are willing to help backstage or during dress rehearsals.
"I've been very fortunate to have a very successful program," Mac Donald said. "Thanks to the city of Ormond who supported me and the Nova Rec — they've always had my back if I needed something or got into situations like last year where we couldn't use the Ormond Beach Performing Arts Center." The PAC was still closed due to the pandemic.
Instead, she hung curtains in her dance room and she and her students put on three shows so all the parents could watch the performance in the small space.
"That was really challenging, but you know me — I'm up for a challenge," Mac Donald said.
