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Dance Theatre of Wilkes-Barre dancers rehearse for their performance.

WILKES-BARRE — Just about everyone who lives or works in Wilkes-Barre has probably heard a refrain, usually from an aquaintance who lives in the more suburban areas of Mountain Top or the Back Mountain.

It goes something like this: “No, I won’t meet you for lunch/dinner/a movie/a play in Wilkes-Barre. I don’t want to get shot.”

Choreographer Gina Malsky has heard opinions like that, too, and despite a recent rash of violence, wants people to know she’s confident that the artists and students who come to her facility, Downtown Arts on North Franklin Street, are safe.

“Two hundred people come through our doors every week,” she said. “We feel very safe and we want the community to come out and get everybody together.”

To that end, Downtown Arts is offering a free performance 6:30 p.m. April 17, in connection with monthly Third Friday Art Walk, during which visitors are welcome to stop by several galleries. “We’re opening our doors,” Malsky said.

The live performance will include Malsky’s young dance protegees offering excerpts from “Alice in Wonderland” along with students from Supplee Strings playing pieces by Dvorzak and Vivaldi. Piano students of Laura Tonguay and vocal students of Katrina Lykes will also take part, along with members of the Without Walls dance troupe.

As the rabbit from “Alice” leapt easily over a wooden railing, and Tweedle-Dum and Tweedle-Dee danced with arms linked as befits twins, some watching parents agreed they feel confident bringing their children to downtown Wilkes-Barre for arts lessons.

“Absolutely,” said Carol Hiscox.

The downtown seems safer than some of the neighborhoods, John Werner said, and even those neighborhoods may improve when “we start using code enforcement properly.”