The Studio 2 Stage Dance Academy had big crowds of friends and family Jingle Bell Rockin’ on Sunday, Dec. 16 during their 2012 Christmas Recital at the North Peace Cultural Centre.
Two-hundred recreational dancers and 34 competitive dancers of all ages took the stage for two shows on Sunday, dressed in a wide variety of holiday costumes. For capacity crowds, they performed routines they had been working on since September set to some Christmas classics.
“All of it went really well,” said Lana Taylor, publicity director for the Northern Dance Theatre Society. “We were sold out for both shows and I think that hasn’t happened for a while. We had good support.”
Over 25 performances had the audience amazed, awestruck and even roaring with laughter, especially when some of the youngest (primary) ballet dancers stopped mid-routine because they couldn’t remember their choreography.
Classic songs like Last Christmas, Carol of the Bells and Sleigh Ride had toes tapping and hearts growing three sizes that day as the Studio 2 Stage troupe got the crowd feeling rather festive.
“They were all excited,” Taylor said about the dancers. “There were lots of nice comments from spectators saying how nice it was, which is great because people don’t always say anything, but they were really happy with it this year.”
Taylor added how beneficial recitals are for younger dancers to share the stage with some older, more advanced dancers in more than a few ways.
“They get to see how much more advanced a girl the same age is who’s dancing recreationally compared to competitively,” she explained. “It gives them an idea if they want to give that kind of commitment. Some of the recreational dancers maybe dance an hour a week whereas a competitive dancer dances 12. It’s good for them to sit in the stands or backstage with the older girls to see what goes into it.”
“It gives them an idea of how good they can get.”
The Northern Dance Theatre Society (which is part of Studio 2 Stage) also held a bake sale and a silent auction to raise funds for their organization in the lobby.
“We have a great organization, the NTDS which is the rec parents, run the recital, the costuming and most of the stage work,” Taylor said. “We get them out on stage and it went really well. We have a really good group of parents so that’s awesome.”
Studio 2 Stage dancers will enjoy their Christmas break before preparing for a big festival in Kamloops in March and their spring recital.
