Although Las Vegas’ dance scene has improved over the years, with the exception of those by Nevada Ballet Theatre and Las Vegas Contemporary Dance Theater, most of the local performances feature a high number of student dancers. Which raises the question, if you are neither friend nor relative of said students, why should you spend the money on a ticket to see them?

“Most importantly, because they are our future,” explains Kyudong Kwak, director of Kwak Ballet Academy. “It is vital to support the students, because in doing so, audiences ensure the survival of the entire local arts community.”

On August 8, audiences can catch a glimpse of that future, when students from the Kwak Academy’s summer program perform the mixed bill Potpourri, featuring selections from the beloved classic Swan Lake. Kyudong Kwak and Yoomi Lee—former principal dancers for NBT—will join the students for the event, which will also include contemporary works such as the powerful “Mood Indigo,” choreographed by Bernard Gaddis and performed by the Contemporary Dance Theater.

“For patrons,” says CSN Dance Artistic Director Kelly Roth, “the experience of watching students perform can sometimes be like getting in on the ground floor of a budding luminary. Plus, in the dance world, the necessity to take daily class means we are all perpetually students, anyway.”