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Be Local by attending area dance shows

By Frances Borsodi Zajac, For The Greene County Messenger 5 min read

The world is celebrating International Dance Day April 29, recognizing an art form that remains as vibrant as ever.

The observance, set on the birthday of Jean-Georges Noverre, creator of modern ballet, celebrates human movement that can “cross all political, cultural and ethnic barriers, and bring people together with a common language — dance,” according to the International Dance Day website.

Be Local means joining the celebration by supporting area dance schools as they begin hosting their annual recitals, showcasing lessons students have learned throughout the year. The shows begin this week and continue into June.

“They work so hard,” Christina Lanzi John, owner of Lanzi Academy of Dance in Uniontown, said of the students, “It takes a lot for them to go out and perform in front of a large audience.”

“For some, it’s their first time on stage,” said Missy Shipley, owner of Kids and Company Acrobatics and Dance in Connellsville, adding, “You never know what’s going to happen with the babies. That’s what rehearsal is for. You get them familiar with being on stage.”

Cheryl Frost, owner of Cheryl Frost Dance Studio in Fairbank, explained youths as young as 3 years old take dance lessons once a week while older students are often at the studio two to three times a week.

Shipley commented that studios run their dance programs like a school year, starting in September and continuing through the spring.

Students are asked to bring their best, including being properly dressed, showing respect to their teachers and each other, and be willing to make an effort.

“What we try to promote is that the kids compete with themselves,” Shipley said, “not each other.”

Those dance classes are in addition to homework, other extra-curricular activities and perhaps a job.

The students work hard because they enjoy what they’re doing. And there’s a lot of talent throughout the district.

Frost noted, “People from this area have gone on to become professionals.”

Even those who don’t choose dancing as a career can see its benefits.

Shipley commented, “They learn a lot of discipline and the ability to work well with others.”

John said, “It builds confidence. It builds discipline. I think it helps build community.”

Dance becomes a community when youths see the support of their families, friends and neighbors who come to their shows.

“It’s great to have community support and it makes the dancers feel good to see all those people in the audience,” John said. “It makes them want to do it again — to go back to dancing the next year and work towards that dance recital. It’s something to look forward to.”

Frost said of the audiences, “Usually there are a lot of people and they give the students flowers and balloons to show how great they did.”

“They work hard all year, and it’s great to perform in front of as many people as possible,” Shipley said.

There’s also a community of dance studios and their students in the area, who offer support to each other.

“Putting on a show is a lot of work not just for the students but for the staff. The teachers put a lot of time into it and we take pride in our dance recitals,” said John, a lifelong dancer who has owned her studio since 2010.

“I know every dance studio does a different theme and it’s fun to watch the show and see how it ties together. Our theme this year is ‘On the Silver Screen,'” said John, noting several dances will make use of the theme, including the opening number for the show.

Teachers put in a lot of extra time not just for the show, but for dance competitions in which students are tested on their abilities as well as giving their students experience learning and performing in clinics, conferences and at other venues. Most do it gladly.

“I just feel all the dancers are part of my family. We’re a family-oriented dance studio,” said Frost, who is observing the 20th anniversary of her studio with the theme “Express: Celebrating 20 Years of Dance” in her shows, which will include an alumni dance.

Shipley also remarked on the family atmosphere that has helped her and others through difficult times: “I can’t say enough about how supportive our dance parents are. We’re like one big happy dance family.”

Shipley noted she and her other two teachers grew up at Kids and Company, starting lessons when they were 4. Shipley purchased the studio in 2002. Over the years, she’s taken students to the Orange Bowl, Olympics and New York City to perform and take class. And the annual recitals are always an important part of the dance program.

Significant businesses in their communities, dance studios educate and entertain. And maybe a little bit more.

Shipley said the schools offer students not only “the experience of learning dance but a love of it.”

With dance shows taking place now through the next couple of months, there are many opportunities to offer support by attending the recitals and clapping as hard as you can.

Those interested in joining the Be Local Network can contact Ted Flowers at 724-425-7231 or by email at tflowers@heraldstandard.com. Discount cards are available at the Herald-Standard, 8 E. Church St., Uniontown, and at the Greene County Messenger, 82 W. High St., Waynesburg.

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