Dance recital enchants audience

More than gifts, the holidays are about traditions. Saturday evening at the Sisters High School auditorium, Sisters Dance Academy brought holiday traditions to life on stage for the third Winter Dance Recital - titled "Traditions." Dancers ages 3 to 18 performed ballet, jazz, tap, hip-hop and contemporary dance to a full house.

"Traditions help bring us together to celebrate what is most meaningful in our lives," said Andrew Ellis at the start of the recital. Ellis narrated each themed tradition throughout the recital.

"The dancers have rehearsed since the beginning of October for this year's Winter Dance Recital," said Lonnie Liddell, owner and dance instructor at Sisters Dance Academy. "Haley Ellis and Ann Alisa Duerden have helped me put this together. Angelique Haney did all of the backstage managing and made all of the long red skirts for the first dance titled 'Tradition.' They have been a huge support, they've been my backbone."

One tradition that Sisters Country couldn't be without is hiking out into the forest to find that perfect Christmas tree. Dancers dressed as lumberjacks danced to hip-hop, getting ready to find that perfect tree in the themed dance titled "Timber/Keep Her on the Low."

Six 3-year-olds outfitted in fancy red tutus danced on stage to Shirley Temple singing "That's What I Want For Christmas."

During intermission all the families, friends, and Sisters folks enjoyed a bake sale of homemade holiday cookies that volunteer Ann Alisa Duerden organized especially for the dance recital.

Brooke Blackelock and Lilly Sundstrom lit up the stage tap-dancing to "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree."

A special highlight titled "Grandma's Feather Bed/ Bizet" showed the tradition of visiting Grandma's house during the holidays. Six young dancers were dressed in their Christmas pajamas and asked by the narrator what their very favorite part of going to grandma's house was. They all answered in unison, "Grandma's Feather Bed!"

The crowd cheered as Liddell's one-year-old daughter, Campbell, walked out on stage in her bright red tutu to begin the last dance of the evening (that would eventually include all of the dancers) titled "Finale: All you Need is Love" and bounced to hip-hop.

"All of the dancers were full of joy helping bring that feeling to the community. The focus of the dance recital this year, is that we can all be so busy and it's just how simple things, like the sound of a bell, can remind us of the meaningful things in our lives, giving to others with love in our hearts," said Liddell.

Winter/spring dance session begins January 6, 2014. For more information visit www.sistersdanceacademy.com.