In pursuit of local culture, my wife and I attended the
Spring Recital of a local dance studio. You see, our next-door neighbor, Emma, is a budding dancer. She
and quite a few of her student friends performed a variety of dance pieces. It
was quite a thing to experience. Imagine you’d been there with us.
The pink double-sided program lists over thirty dance pieces.
As the show begins we learn they are set to several different musical genres.
The soundtrack is not the only thing we hear. Dance slippers
swish along the floor. Feet pound the stage as dancers conclude their jumps. Several
pieces include percussive tap dancing routines, proof that tap is alive and
well.
Dancers flash and sparkle as spangles and sequins bounce
light around the room. The costumes range from frilly ballet tutus to sheer
flowing dresses and bright hip-hop regalia --- with several styles in between.
Part of the excitement is the anticipation. Unlike most
stage shows, the backstage is lit between pieces. For us, that means we sit in
a darkened room illuminated by a thin band of light between the curtain and the
stage floor. You look carefully at that light and see feet. Often lots of small
feet. The instructors are making sure all the dancers are on their marks and poised
for the curtain to open.
You can’t help but appreciate the wide range of talent on
display. The youngest group is the largest and arguably the cutest --- showing
up is success. They quickly win our hearts and our grace. If they happen to do
things in unison, we are impressed. If they are not all dancing it is likely because
they are looking for loved ones in the audience.
The next acts include budding troupers—those who are moving
beyond cuteness to more cohesive routines, and groups of successively older
dancers. As the program unfolds we see a natural progression from initial
exposure to the arts to embracing dance. The group sizes dwindle. Those who
stay with dance are developing proficiency, grace and confidence. It shows in
their natural smiles while they dance.
There is opportunity here. Emma’s father told me that
several of the dancers in the more advanced routines were dancing beyond their
age group. While two dancers can perform a captivating routine, six or more
make more intricate choreography possible.
The program is enjoyable. Clearly, a lot of work has gone
into costumes, choreography, and practice. Then we get a glimpse behind the
scenes. In the wings, you notice an advanced dancer in a green dress.
When the onstage dancers reach a part in their routine where
they are lost or even uncertain, their eyes snap to this dancing mentor, who
calmly does the movements just offstage, modeling for them, reassuring them,
and encouraging them to relax.
You notice this again and again. Misstep, fumble, glance to
the side, recover. With experience, lapses in timing shorten. Confidence grows.
Dancers self-correct and carry on, accepting the flaws and focusing on the
performance as a whole.
So often I go someplace with few expectations and encounter
something that gives me hope, evokes my admiration, or stirs me. The day of the recital that something was somebody who didn’t expect to be seen. But she was there for the younger
dancers.
Who is in the wings encouraging you? When things don’t go according
to plan, who are you watching? Who do you feel best models success?
Thanks to Steps in Style Dance Studio for an afternoon of entertainment, for your work in our community, and for a glimpse behind the curtain that gave us even more to think about.
