Dancers wow audience

Some 380 Sisters residents - parents, brothers, sisters, grandparents, aunts, uncles and neighbors - piled into the Sisters High School Auditorium to attend the Sisters Dance Academy 2011 Spring Recital on June 6.

Each number just about brought down the house.

Dance instructor Lonnie Liddell, with the help of her assistants Sharri Bertagna and Poinciana Zelaya, and light and sound technician Jacob Akaka, put on a spectacular dance show involving 83 children of various ages in different styles.

The show was titled, "Move Your Body." Children ages 3 to 17 wowed everyone, and even themselves

High school dancers Emily Woodworth, Jessica Wester and Jordi Gauthier performed "Worrisome Heart" in an almost pure ballet form, moving their bodies in perfect time while Jodi spun around again and again in the classic fouette turn.

"The Dancing Poodles" charmed everyone and delighted parents.

"You gotta love 'em," one parent was heard to say as the youngest children pranced about the stage in their white poodle costumes, complete with tutus and tails.

The solo number by Jordi Gauthier, in contemporary ballet style, was a sample of her own choreography. After the performance, Lonnie said, "Jordi is graduating this year, and it is such a joy to see the fluidity and maturity of her artistry."

The combination of two numbers, "Simple Gifts" and "The Teddy Bear Picnic," was performed in pure ballet form along with a few theatrical surprises thrown in at the right moment, like when the bears exerted their authority and drove everyone out of the picnic.

Jacob Akaka's talents came to the fore in "Raise Your Glass/The Time," a complicated number put on by 12 members of the Sisters Dance Academy team. The tempo called for the lights to dim and change color to the time of the music. Akaka never missed a beat, and neither did the children.

The "Old Macdonald" dance found Lonnie working like a mother hen with her little ducklings as they went through the routine, and then at the end, as they left the stage, some of the children took the opportunity to wave and smile to their cheering parents.

The tap routine of "A Wink and a Smile" that followed had everyone clapping and tapping in their seats as the 5- to 7-year-olds clacked across the stage.

Perhaps the most powerful message for young children was danced by Jordi Gauthier and Makenna Liddell in "Innocence," in which an older sister (Jordi) attempted to convince her little worshipping sister (Makenna) not to make the same mistakes she made.

Jordi mastered the grand jete, a running leap that was awesome to witness, while Makenna anticipated and performed every move her "older sister" made, without missing a step.

There probably isn't a dance ensemble in the U.S. that hasn't brought to life Gene Kelly dancing in the rain, and the Sisters Dance Academy was no exception. The children, clad in red rain gear, waltzed about the stage twirling their brightly colored umbrellas to the familiar strains of "Singin' In the Rain."

Another example of the artistic talents of these young dancers was observed in the "Irish Duet," with choreography by Tiffany Cormalis and Emily Woodworth. Their energetic movements of the classic Irish dance got the audience clapping, and brought the lively spirit of the Irish culture unto the performance.

Sam Mays was the only boy among the dancers, but Sam wowed the crowd in his part doing the worm in "Fire Burning."

"Come Home," performed by solo dancer Jessica Wester, was a contemporary dance, embellished with acrobatic dance elements. After the applause quieted down, Lonnie said, "This piece really highlights Jessica's talents as a dancer, as well as a choreographer."

Probably the most challenging performance of the evening was an adaptation of "Coppellia, Dance of the Dolls." Older dancers Emily Woodworth, Jessica Wester, Jordi Gauthier and Tiffany Caromalis dressed like giant puppets and entertained young McKenna Brinkman, who played the part of a little girl who, while looking in a doll shop, finds a magic wand and discovers it will bring the dolls to life.

Six-year-old McKenna was still beaming after the evening's performance, and when someone asked about her experience said, "Oh, loved dancing with

them..."

The Sisters Dance Academy will host summer dance sessions June 27 through July 1 and July 25 to July 29. Visit

http://www.sistersdanceacademy.com for more information.