Noted for the richness of its visual arts and cultural endeavors, South Whidbey is as much a haven for patrons of the performing arts.

These aficionados will have a grand opportunity to indulge their passion for dance at a two-performance choreography showcase presented April 20 by Whidbey Dance Theatre.

On the expansive stage of the almost new South Whidbey High School auditorium, the WDT company dancers, many of whom have earned national recognition and honors, will weave a vivid palette of original dance drawn from a wide range of genres and choreographed by the company’s noted residents as well as guest choreographers.

On the program will be modern dance, tap, several kinds of jazz dance, character ballet, even a suite of vintage dances to Big Band era music played by Whidbey’s Generation Gap.

A guest performance by the Hot Shot Tappers from Portland, Ore., will add another dimension, and there will be dances by guests such as Tammy To, choreographer for the Seattle Seahawks SeaGals, and Carl Massey, the Hot Shot Tappers choreographer.

“It will be a production that reaffirms legitimate dance on Whidbey,” said Charlene Brown of Whidbey Dance Theatre, which recently named Susan Campbell Sandri as Brown’s co-artistic director.

“Having Susan will be so good for me,” Brown said. “I’m excited to share in her enthusiasm and energy.”

Sandri views her new position with a similar spirit.

“I like to be pulled along by excited people,” she said. “Everyone here is a professional.”

Sandri’s modern work for nine dancers, “Hame Lowe Reevin,” translated from Scots as “Home Fire Burning,” is part of Dance Menu 2002. Set to traditional Celtic music, the piece reflects the lives of Scottish clanswomen awaiting the outcome of the battle of Culloden in 1746.

Sandri has been invited to have the dance performed at the Regional Dance America Pacific Division in May.

Another original work on the program is resident choreographer Susan Vanderwood’s stylish jazz piece “Y su Punto?” — translated as “What’s Your Point?” — set to a Ricky Martin score and featuring six company dancers. Her work was performed at the Company Dance jazz competition earlier this month in Tacoma.

Dancers will also perform works by guest choreographers who include student Amy Berto, Carl Massey of Portland’s Hot Shot Tappers, and Tammy To, choreographer for the Seattle Seahawks’ SeaGals.

The collaboration with the Generation Gap big band, led by Dick Tilkin of South Whidbey, is part of a new community outreach tour begun in February.

“One purpose is to share music and dance with various schools and their communities,” Brown said. “It also helps us provide performance venues and experience for our company of emerging artists.”

The band and WDT have so far performed together in Lynnwood, Duvall and at Bayview’s Sweetheart Ball. Company members have also been guest artists in several other productions, the Peninsula Dance Theatre’s Choreography Showcase in February and South Whidbey High School’s production of the musical “Damn Yankees,” which featured two resident choreographers and all but three of WDT’s dancers.

Those dancers have been earning prestigious recognition:

Amy Berto will perform with Regional Dance America Pacific at the USA International Ballet Competition in June in Jackson, Miss. Berto will be in the regional festival honor concert in May as well; she began rehearsals in California in late December.

Alexis Daly will attend the Kirov Ballet summer training program in Washington, D.C. Katelyn Candelario has been accepted into the American Ballet Theatre summer program in Austin, Texas.

And this May, the entire Whidbey Dance Theatre company, its artistic directors and many board members will attend the Regional Dance America Pacific festival in Torrance, Calif., for four days of classes and performances.

The accolades and honors have placed WDT in a position of prominence in regional dance, Brown said.

“Here we are in a small town on a small island in Puget Sound, yet we are recognized as having some of the best dancers and choreographers around,” she said. Brown and Sandri noted that many of the company’s dancers have studied dance in college and universities and have later achieved careers in professional dance.

“The list is long,” Brown said.

WDT will send more dancers off this spring to their further pursuits: Amy Berto and Karla Gilbert will graduate from high school, and foreign exchange student Daniele Balsamo will bid farewell.

Berto has been accepted into the dance program at California State Long Beach, “arguably the finest dance performing arts major program on the West Coast and one of the best in the country,” Brown said.

“We’ll also have to say goodbye to Kyra Barnholt, who has been a longtime company collaborating artist and choreographer.”

As company members leave, WDT brings in new talent. In January, Whidbey Dance Theater welcomed three new members: Jennifer Bondelid, Jamee Brown and Chelsea Matthews-Jensen.

The company will begin auditions for more members in August, when it will also cast the principal roles for Nutcracker 2002 and start rehearsals for the December ballet.