Former Granite Bay High School teacher Judi Daniels is making incredible moves in the world of the arts. 

Daniels taught high school for close to 30 years, including her 12 years at GBHS as an English and Film teacher, and is very educated in the arts. 

“I have a B.A. in English, a Master’s degree in Theatre Arts with an emphasis in film and a Master’s degree in Educational Administration,” Daniels said.

Her clear love for the arts is depicted in the Chadash concerts for which she writes the stories, spoken-word pieces and monologues. She also writes and directs the films for the Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement. 

The Chadash Contemporary Dance Movement and its concerts mean a great deal to her because she has a terminal illness, causing her to cherish every moment life has to offer.

“I stay very much in the present,” Daniels said, “and when I have an opportunity to create something of significance (which Chadash definitely does), I do not take that gift for granted.”

Their concerts take a spiritual approach to demonstrating the struggles of humanity, but also their ability to obtain joy and hope. 

“The mission statement for our dance company is ‘to stand in the ashes of the barn burned down and point to the moon. One foot in suffering, and one foot in hope,’ ” Daniels said.

She takes her past and current life experiences and applies them to the concerts that display a raw and thoughtful story where a viewer can feel the crippling pain and beaming hope that emits from the combination of the dancers and music.

Their upcoming dance show is called Beacon, which takes place from 1937 during the Great Depression and spans nearly a hundred years, leaving off in modern Los Angeles. 

“Where do we find strength to fight the good fight? How do we maintain hope when all seems hopeless? Those questions always form the basis of our inspiration,” Daniels said.

High school senior and apprentice for Judith Daniels, Lindsay Lykins, agrees that the significance behind “Beacon,” and all of the Chadash concerts, is something incredibly special that reaches out to an audience of all ages. 

“What I believe is so powerful about all Chadash concerts is that each one tells an incredible story, and within that story, there is a message that resonates with all the dancers and audience members in some kind of way,” Lykins said. 

Lynkins used to attend Roseville High School, but switched to online school in order to focus more time on dance. 

As a young dancer, she feels very grateful to be participating in Chadash not only because it will look good on her resume, but because of the unbeatable experience of dancing and working with other artists such as Daniels. 

Along with Lynkins, Abigail Hardy dances as an artist for the Chadash concerts and shares how she too feels “Beacon” is bewitching to all of the audience. 

“I believe the show communicates that the choices we make in life can affect us for both good and bad,” Hardy said, “(and) even if we are experiencing a low in life, our choices in that difficulty greatly affects our future.” 

Hardy is a professional dancer from Dallas, Texas, and co-directs the Zion Dance Project with her husband, Vincent Hardy. 

Daniels, Lynkins and Hardy all look forward to their upcoming show, “Beacon.” There are three performances scheduled for the Patty Baker Theatre at Roseville High School – 7 p.m. on Jan. 3, and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Jan. 4.

Chadash performers and producers are very excited about their show and look forward to sharing it. 

“My motivation to be a part of Chadash is simple,” Daniels said, “I believe that we live in a broken world, but I believe that art and beauty have the potential to speak to the human heart and bring about change for the better.”