Members of the Whidbey Island Dance Theatre company were invited to perform at choreographer Eva Stone’s “Chop Shop: Northside, A Contemporary Dance Festival” in October.

The festival took place at the Black Box Theatre at Edmonds Community College and featured an array of talent that also included dancers from Seattle, the Eastside community and Edmonds.

“It was wonderful to be a part of this venue,” said company co-director Susan Sandri.

Sandri’s excitement is explained by the company’s inclusion among some internationally lauded artists.

The featured choreographers whose work was presented over the course of the evening each has presented work to numerous critical successes throughout Europe, Asia, Latin America and the United States, including Stone in whose work “press/release” the Whidbey dancers performed.

Past sold out performances have established Chop Shop as one of the most highly anticipated dance events in the greater Seattle/Eastside area.

“Eva Stone … wrote to us with very high praise,” Sandri said. “She said she heard a lot of wonderful feedback about us that our performance in this otherwise professional concert really put us on the map, and showed what young dancers really can do with good training and hard work.”

The company gets ready to open its annual production of “The Nutcracker” on Friday, Dec. 10. The Christmas ballet runs through Dec. 19 at South Whidbey High School Auditorium.

Call 341-2221 for tickets, or click here.