Spring Dance

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.